The Theme Of Success In Arthur Miller's Death Of A Salesman

Through hard work, anything is attainable. Success isn’t just handed to someone on a silver platter, there is lots of time and effort that must be put forward in order to achieve this. The American dream describes something similar and also states that the goal of success is attainable to anyone willing to put some effort in. The play Death of a Salesman illustrates to readers and also viewers of how this American dream can be interpreted differently by individuals. There are also a variety of examples in the play that describe the various interpretation of this dream. Charley for instance is a prime example of a successful man who worked hard for what he has, and never expected it to be any other way. This is usually how life goes for the
rest of us. In order to have what we want, we must work for it. It is simple. Willy on the other hand has different opinions on how to be successful in life. Being popular and well-liked is the only thing you need to be successful according to Willy Loman.
He believes no matter how hard you work; it still boils down to who you know – your contacts. His advice seems relatively simple and it does seem much easier is a person’s mind to just get everyone to like you rather than working hard. But perhaps he doesn’t have it figured out as well as he thinks he does. As he has reached his old age, the career path that he has chosen has began to work against him. During his younger years as a salesman, he was able to find a web of people that helped him find buyers. He used the tool of manipulation as well, and since he was well liked he did well in his profession. Until the day came that the people he worked closely with and pulled strings for him branched out and created their own networks, leaving Willy alone and essentially workless. Since then he has had a hard time making ends meet for his family. There should have been some indication that struggle would become his fate when he met Dave Singleman who was still working at the age of eighty-four when most people are living the retired life by then. If only he had based his work ethic off of something more realistic, something such as working hard instead of making it a popularity contest. Had Willy used this philosophy over being well-liked he might possibly find himself in a different situation, one that doesn’t involve having to borrow money from his neighbour, or struggle to keep
food on the table, or not having anything to leave his children after he dies. But he didn’t, and unfortunately for his children he has told them the only way to success is if people like you. It is no surprise that Willy’s parenting method is exactly the same as his work ethic. A popularity contest. For instance, when Biff and Happy steal they are not punished. Instead Willy takes the “friend” approach which avoids causing tension in their relationship. He would rather the two boys do as they please and still maintain positive feelings towards him. The manner which he has chose to approach parenting is affecting his boys and the way they are living their lives. Instead of teaching them the value of hard work, he teaches them about how important being well-liked is. Doing as his father says, Biff spends most of his time in the company of his friends and peers, and a lot less time on his education. This results in Biff failing his math class, which ultimately reflects back on Willy’s parenting and how he could have influenced Biff to take more initiative when it comes to his school work rather than focusing all his energy on his friends. Willy should be encouraging his kids to be the best that they can be and work hard to attain the goals that is the American dream. Like how Charley has been a hard working man his whole life, and his efforts have obviously paid off later in his life. He does not struggle financially as Willy does, but instead has worked for everything he has and didn’t focus on what other people thought of him. It is clear that he teaches Bernard these same values because he has grown to be a successful young man, just like his father. Biff could have had a stable future similar to Bernard had he been taught to take his schooling more seriously, but instead he is living the same struggle as his father with no secure future. Ultimately, it is distinctly obvious that how you perceive success and what it takes to get there varies with every individual.
Charley chose hard work in order to attain the life he wanted for his future. Willy decided to go the other direction and rely on his charisma to get him ahead in life. It’s clear that Willy’s method to make it to the top may not be the best path. To get ahead in life takes more than who you have in your contacts. Though being well-liked makes life easier in the short run, it eventually comes to an abrupt end. The people that have stuck around move to a different job, retire, or die. This is simply the cycle. Meanwhile hard work and dedication is a lasting success. It shows others that you have what it takes and don’t rely on anything else except motivation. These traits are ones that are admired far more than someone who seeks approval of others and ensure a stable future mirroring the “American
dream”.