Willy Loman and the American Dream Essay - 1986 Words

Willy Loman, in the play Death of a salesman, believes that being physically attractive and well liked by people, are the only necessary ingredients to attain the American dream. Willy works his entire adult life trying to become an astounding salesman, such as Dave Singleman. In Willy’s mind, Dave is the epitome of a successful salesman and â€Å"thus, the dream has shaped in Willy’s mind. All his life has been spent trying to imitate this person† (Danqing 27), until he finally realizes that his hard work has got him nowhere. â€Å"I’ve got to get some seeds, right away. Nothing’s planted. I don’t have a thing in the ground† (qtd. in Delbanco and Cheuse 332). All of the actions Willy makes and the choices he decides upon, come back to greatly†¦show more content†¦Robert Hogan describes his efforts, â€Å"Willy has applied himself; he has been diligent and thrifty; he has extolled the businessman’s virtues; he has trie d to be ‘well-liked.’ For this he should have been rewarded, but no reward comes, and Willy is numbly baffled by the failure of the American dream† (par, 40). However, he believes the reality is that, all he must to do be a successful salesman is be attractive and convince people to like him, â€Å"never understanding that he has sold himself a false bill of goods† (Moss and Wilson, par. 27). His bizarre beliefs have misguided him into thinking that he should be rewarded for having good looks and a likeable personality. Willy, unable to understand the error of his concept, desperately turns to Charley to pull him out of the mountain of debt he is trapped under. Charley, the voice of reason, â€Å"has realized that Willy’s views of success [are] seriously flawed† (Juan, par. 21). Rather than giving his neighbor more money, Charley offers something of much more value in the long run, a real job. Willy refuses Charley’s job offer and is in sulted, because he holds himself at a higher regard than Charley. He also does not accept the job offer because of his pride as a man and in his sales position. In the Journal of American Culture, John Shockley denotes that, â€Å"Willy was too proud to give up his salesman’sShow MoreRelatedWilly Loman And The American Dream1968 Words   |  8 Pagesdependent on its environment and the people that surround it. Ideas that can have many different meanings based on the person, such as the American Dream, can lead children into a life of confusion, since they dont know which meaning to stick to. Such is the case even for adults who, for example, dont know which definition of success and the American Dream is the best for them personally. People can lose themselves and what they believe in if they get lost in all of the possibilities of successRead MoreWilly Loman : the Tragedy of the American Dream2717 Words   |  11 PagesWilly Loman : The Tragedy of the American Dream Prosperity, job security, hard work and family union are some of the concepts that involve the American Dream, generally speaking. Some people think this dream is something automatically granted; or in contrast, as in the story Death of a Salesman written by Arthur Miller, as something that has to be achieved in order to be successful in life. 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The lack of control over their goals and dreams lead toRead More Willy Loman, Jay Gatsby, and the Pursuit of the American Dream798 Words   |  4 PagesWilly Loman, Jay Gatsby, and the Pursuit of the American Dream Scott Fitzgerald, author of The Great Gatsby, and Arthur Miller, author of Death of a Salesman, both tell the stories of men in the costly pursuit of the American dream. As a result of several conflicts, both external and internal, both characters experience an extinction of the one thing that they have set their sights on.... The American Dream. Jay Gatsby, a mysterious, young and very wealthyRead MoreWilly Loman, Jay Gatsby, and the American Dream Essay736 Words   |  3 PagesGatsby and Loman My own life’s dream is to have a career in which I can surround myself in music. I will not let anything stand between my dream and I; however, I will never allow my dream to come between myself and my loved ones, or my reality. Many have already fallen victim to the pursuit of the American Dream – a fantastic projection of life that varies based upon its dreamer. However, the road to the American Dream, if followed blindly, can lead to nothing more than a dead end. In The GreatRead MoreEssay about The American Dream in Death of a Salesman1371 Words   |  6 Pagesof American life and consumerism. It relates the story of a common man who portrays this lifestyle. Other issues explored in the play include: materialism, procrastination and alienation. The play was set in 1948, in a time where The American Dream was highly regarded, despite the Depression. The American Dream was a belief that emerged in the later half of the nineteenth century, that if you work hard you w ill achieve success and prosperity. The American Dream affects our view of Willy Loman asRead MoreThe American Dream Essay1565 Words   |  7 Pagesher tough times and sticking to it and working hard after moving to America. This phenomenon is called the American Dream. Being called this due to the freedom of opportunity for prosperity and success, the American Dream is considered to be full of happiness, love, laughter, and anything one could ever hope for in life. In James Adams’s book The Epic of America, he describes the American Dream as a vision of a better, deeper, richer life for every individual, regardless of the position in societyRead MoreWilly And The American Dream1273 Words   |  6 PagesWilly and the â€Å"American Dream† Willy Loman is a traditional man who exemplifies the traditional American values. Willy Loman has reached the old in which he cannot continue fighting for success as a traveling salesman. Confronted with termination of his job as a salesman, Willy began to have flash backs of his past life. At this important part Willy’s presence of his older son Biff has returned home for a visit, and Willy’s old desire for his son to be a traditional success in life is renewed.