Death of a Salesman: Failure of American Dream
The Failure of the American Dream The vision of a successful life in a perfect society was a goal for many middle class Americans in history. It was an ideal that most people of the twentieth century focused on and that they tried to attain for themselves. The controversy of the American Dream has been a prominent discussion in the eyes of many critics, especially when attesting to the fact on how it affects those that believe in it. Certain characters in literature develop a false sense of reality in the American Dream that it tends to swallow them whole. In both Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller and “The Average” by W.H. Auden a common theme of the “American Dream” addresses the necessity of an individual to conform to society and how the dream as a whole leads to imminent failure.
During the 1900s, Americans wanted to attain a better standard of living, thus resulting in this so-called “dream’. It was a strong desire of many low and middle income individuals to appear more fortunate than they were in the essence of reality. After World War I, America experienced a time of growth, wealth and prosperity. The “Roaring ‘20s” occurred when consumer goods, such as; radios, cars and homes, became readily available to the public. With the use of mass media and communication, Americans felt like a more largely connected society. There was sense of pride in their country and they had a new-found desire to conform to the expected norms and values of society (“Death of a Salesman” 71). Rather than a country of individualists, the US became a nation of people who desperately wanted to be accepted by their peers which meant they needed to appear to be “well-liked” and successful in the eyes of society. America then had an economic crippling during the 1930s when the Great Depression occurred. Americans were poor, upset, and angered at the fact that employment was at an all time low and the rates at which they were making money were infrequent. This affected many
During the 1900s, Americans wanted to attain a better standard of living, thus resulting in this so-called “dream’. It was a strong desire of many low and middle income individuals to appear more fortunate than they were in the essence of reality. After World War I, America experienced a time of growth, wealth and prosperity. The “Roaring ‘20s” occurred when consumer goods, such as; radios, cars and homes, became readily available to the public. With the use of mass media and communication, Americans felt like a more largely connected society. There was sense of pride in their country and they had a new-found desire to conform to the expected norms and values of society (“Death of a Salesman” 71). Rather than a country of individualists, the US became a nation of people who desperately wanted to be accepted by their peers which meant they needed to appear to be “well-liked” and successful in the eyes of society. America then had an economic crippling during the 1930s when the Great Depression occurred. Americans were poor, upset, and angered at the fact that employment was at an all time low and the rates at which they were making money were infrequent. This affected many