Arthur Miller’s prevalent theme in The Death of a Salesman is the idea of the failed American dream. The Loman family struggles to keep their own dreams alive and although the American dream is a powerful motivator in the book, it also makes people consumed with their ambitions. Willy Loman battles with his dream of being a well-liked salesman, especially because he still reminisces over the past and can not keep up with the present. He struggles to see the reality of his distorted dream and how it alters his preconceived idea of his self worth. Arthur Miller uses the dream motif in Death of a Salesman to convey Willy Loman’s refusal to adjust to the present and how it leads to the destruction of his distorted dream and ultimately his death. Throughout the play, Willy is blind to the reality of who he is …show more content…
Biff is caught between two completely different dreams. His heart wants to live a simple life on a farm but his mind wants him to be like his father and work in the city. His inner conflict between his mind and his heart is constantly getting in the way of what he really wants. By the end of the play, Biff realizes that his father was pursuing the wrong dream and that Willy “never knew who he really was” and that is what killed him in the first place. Throughout the play, Biff tells his father in a true honest moment that, “Why am I trying to become what I don’t want to be?” but after the death of his father, he tells the rest of his family that “I know who I am, kid” (138). The sad reality of The Death of a Salesman is that many people go through life not knowing who they are or who they want to be, and Willy Loman struggled with that concept, but hopefully in today’s world, one can be more like Biff Loman, who was brave enough to decide on who he wants to