Death Of A Salesman By Arthur Miller

How closely can one compare the real world today with the idea of the ‘american dream’ in “Death of a Salesman”? The American Dream for most people is all about money, a family, and a steady good paying job. For others, it is just about them and their own satisfaction. In Death of a Salesman, a story written by Arthur Miller, there are literary elements that describe social issues. However, they do not only apply to the story, but also to society today.

The american dream presents success as something attainable to everyone who is willing to work for it with dogged determination. Miller uses several literary elements to describe the American dream, such as flashbacks. He describes the past when he talks about him and his brother in high school, while they are actually in their 30s in the story. Which occurs in act one in death of a saleman.

Miller uses Irony in his story to describe the social issue in which he encounters. He does this by pushing his sons to be successful, while he never was. He does not want his sons to grow up and become like him, he wanted them to prosper. This is irony because Miller did not push through his own adversity but expects his children to. Miller was devastated to find out that he had lost his job and he will not become wealthy so he expects his children to pursue his dream. Furthermore, the irony in this
Miller uses this literary element to also describe the social issue in which Willy Loman is being treated differently. Loman feels as if he is worthless without his job and family. Loman tries very hard to get his job back but his boss treated him so unfairly and declines his ‘application’. Miller compares himself to all of these things because of the way he