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Research Paper On Willy Loman

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Research Paper On Willy Loman
David Lobeck
Mr. Howieson
Honors American Literature
April 16, 2011
Willy Loman & the American Dream “...There are two versions of the American Dream,” according to Harold Clurman(132). The authentic dream from the very beginning of America was of freedom and equal opportunity. Achievement, itself, is all the dream requires. The awry dream of vocational success came about during the Post-Civil War period. The basis of this dream for successfulness was that of business ingenuity, perseverance, and audacity. Even this dream has changed in recent times, particularly after WWI instead of perseverance and audacity, salesmanship enters the erroneous dream’s basis. Salesmanship indicates an evident aspect of trickery: the art of selling a product no matter the usefulness of the product. Profit is ultimately the justification to making a sale (Clurman 132-133). …show more content…
Miller proposes two thoughts on the American Dream in Death of a Salesman. He starts off saying that we all have dreams, whether they are singular or numerous, straight forward or shady. Miller impresses upon the viewer that dreams control everyone’s lives, but it is when people have the wrong dreams, it slowly starts to eat away at the person following the dream and his/her family(Badaraco 89). Throughout Death of a Salesman, Miller criticizes two aspects of the modern American Dream and the people following it by showing how they affect Willy and the people around
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