The Truth About The American Dream Essay

The Truth About the American Dream The American Dream is a theme that has been portrayed in American literature for decades. The notion that everyone in America can achieve success through hard work is an attractive idealization that has been an ethos that drives many parts of American Society. At the height of its ideology, Arthur Miller expressed his critiques and doubts about the American dream through the writing of The Death of a Salesman. Author Renee Calarco’s Article, Arthur Miller + Death of a Salesman explains what Arthur Miller’s inspiration was for Death of a Salesman saying “Arthur Miller said that other than a doctor saving someone’s life, “writing a worthy play was the most important thing a human being could do.” Why? Because

Willy had two ideas of success, none of which he was able to achieve. His first idea of success was that hard work and the right attitude will guarantee prosperity. Willy regards his brother Ben as one of his heroes, in act one of the play Willy describes his brother’s story of success saying, “The man knew what he wanted and went out and got it! Walked into a jungle, and comes out, the age of twenty-one, and he’s rich! The world is an oyster, but you don’t crack it open on a mattress!”(41). Ben’s quick and frankly lucky acquisition leads to Willy’s false idealization that anyone who works hard and has the right attitude will be bound for success. In this case, “success” meaning the epitome of the American Dream. Ben’s story is how the American Dream is portrayed to many, like Willy. He works very hard but finds little to no success, this contradiction takes a toll on his self-worth. Willy’s other idea of success was the idea that happiness and success come from being well-liked. This idea conflicted with the aspects of his life and his other hero and son, Biff. Biff was a very talented football player and well-liked boy in high school, this is why Willy is so confused as to why he isn’t successful in his adult years. In Willy’s mind, Biff is the poster child for success. In act one of the play Willy elaborates on Biff’s struggles saying “Biff Loman is lost. In the

His failure to achieve his personal ideas of success causes a loss of self-esteem and self-worth. In Arthur Miller + A Death of a Salesman, Calarco explains how “Willy turns to his memories and delusions to combat any feelings of failure, he begins to lose touch with reality. Willy is flawed and is brought to ruin by his own weaknesses” (Calarco). This quote explains how Willy’s strong convictions about the American Dream and his failure to reach it consumed his life. His unrealistic goals cause major insecurity which causes his life to spiral. Willy’s last days are a domino effect, coming to the realization that his hopes for himself and his sons were all just a dream of the past, failing to provide for his wife and family, and the loss of his job leaves him to become hopeless for the life that he has always strived for and dreamed of. Calarco explains the importance of Death of a Salesman and the message Arthur Miller is portraying, “Death of a Salesman also tells a larger story about American society. Willy Loman is a metaphor (or symbol) for something else. The play isn’t as much about the death of a salesman as it is about the death of something bigger. It’s about the death of the promise of the American Dream” (Calarco). Death of a Salesman isn’t some showstopping thriller or drama. The events that unfold aren’t your typical Hollywood plot, but they are the