Furthermore, the American Dream is presented as a flawed and unattainable concept in ‘Death of a Salesman.’ Miller highlights the consequences of striving for an unattainable dream through Willy's character, who is unable to achieve his dream despite his lifelong efforts. Willy's life is a series of failures, and he constantly looks to the past and his idealised version of it as a means of escape from his current reality. Miller also critiques the materialistic values that underpin the American Dream, as Willy's obsession with the idea of success and wealth ultimately leads to his downfall. The play suggests that the American Dream may be an unattainable fantasy that can cause individuals to lose sight of what is truly important in life.In both "The Great Gatsby" and "Death of a Salesman", the American Dream is presented as a driving force behind the characters' actions, but ultimately leads to their downfall. …show more content…
Scott Fitzgerald portrays in "The Great Gatsby", the American Dream is an illusion that promises success and happiness, but can never be truly attained. Similarly, in Arthur Miller's "Death of a Salesman", the protagonist Willy Loman is obsessed with the idea of achieving the American Dream as a successful salesman, but his misguided beliefs ultimately lead to his demise. As critic Harold Bloom notes, "Gatsby and Willy Loman embody tragic warnings that the American Dream, when pursued as an end in itself, leads not to happiness but to the destruction of self and others." This is exemplified in the quote from Willy, "The only thing you got in this world is what you can sell", showing the importance of success and wealth in his belief system, and in Gatsby's obsession with Daisy, which ultimately results in