After World War II, the United States experienced a social shift, changing the way how Americans viewed themselves and others. One of the these changes was the way Americans perceived femininity and masculinity as women slowly left their traditional roles in search for better opportunities. Although the United States experienced an economic boom after the war, which fueled the spending habits of many Americans, the Depression in the 1930s had ended the American mentality of being optimistic and confident. During this time, men were perceived to be great providers as long as they were able to provide the basic necessities for their family but as the times changed to an era with a prosperous economy, men were pressurized to maintain the social standards and ultimately, an unsustainable style of living. Willy Loman, the protagonist of Death of a Salesman faces this problem as his failing career is unable to provide for his family in 1949. As he faces pressure from his family and neighbors to fully support his family, he places his idea of the American Dream upon his children, Biff and Happy to continue maintaining his unwavering belief in the dream.