In the Death of a Salesman and The Crucible, Arthur Miller is saying that the “American Dream” and the Red Scare lead to many unnecessary deaths. Through the actions of Willy Loman and John Proctor, Miller shows us that the average man would die to save his name and his family.
Willy Loman, from Death of a Salesman, was a the typical man during the late 1940s. He had a wife and two boys and had no other goal but to achieve the “American Dream.” He believed his purpose in life was to be a successful man, meaning wealth and well liked. His reputation was always one of his top priorities, but he cheated on his wife. Little did he know that that one mistake would be the main cause of his death. Before his death, he