Willy Loman : the Tragedy of the American Dream
Willy Loman : The Tragedy of the American Dream
Prosperity, job security, hard work and family union are some of the concepts that involve the American Dream, generally speaking. Some people think this dream is something automatically granted; or in contrast, as in the story "Death of a Salesman" written by Arthur Miller, as something that has to be achieved in order to be successful in life. The play takes issues with those in America who place too much stress on material gain, instead of more admirable values. American society is exemplified with Miller's work and demonstrates how a dream could turn into a nightmare. Arthur Miller's, "Death of a Salesman", is a play that portrays the author's life and the psychological problems that brings the collapse of the American Dream for this in a lower-middle family in an economical depression.
There are two Willy Lomans in this play: the financially burdened and emotionally exhausted man in his sixties, near the end of his life, and there is the more confident, vigorous Willy Loman of some fifteen years before, who appears in flashbacks in the story.
Moreover, the psychological view of Willy Loman is shown as a person who works as a traveling salesman and decides to commit suicide because the "American Dream" overwhelms him. As Charley says in the story: "the only thing you got in this world is what you can sell". He is a normal person who embodies traditional American values of success. In fact, Willy Loman wants to a great extent believe that he is one of the finest salesmen, a winner in life and a great father. For Mr. Loman, the accomplishment of the "American Dream" is so important that he is battling between life and death. In his last years of work, he notices how his presence in the business of selling goods is falling down. First, his body is not as young and energetic as it used to be. Second, he is no longer able to financially support his family. For him, this is a humiliation because having a
Prosperity, job security, hard work and family union are some of the concepts that involve the American Dream, generally speaking. Some people think this dream is something automatically granted; or in contrast, as in the story "Death of a Salesman" written by Arthur Miller, as something that has to be achieved in order to be successful in life. The play takes issues with those in America who place too much stress on material gain, instead of more admirable values. American society is exemplified with Miller's work and demonstrates how a dream could turn into a nightmare. Arthur Miller's, "Death of a Salesman", is a play that portrays the author's life and the psychological problems that brings the collapse of the American Dream for this in a lower-middle family in an economical depression.
There are two Willy Lomans in this play: the financially burdened and emotionally exhausted man in his sixties, near the end of his life, and there is the more confident, vigorous Willy Loman of some fifteen years before, who appears in flashbacks in the story.
Moreover, the psychological view of Willy Loman is shown as a person who works as a traveling salesman and decides to commit suicide because the "American Dream" overwhelms him. As Charley says in the story: "the only thing you got in this world is what you can sell". He is a normal person who embodies traditional American values of success. In fact, Willy Loman wants to a great extent believe that he is one of the finest salesmen, a winner in life and a great father. For Mr. Loman, the accomplishment of the "American Dream" is so important that he is battling between life and death. In his last years of work, he notices how his presence in the business of selling goods is falling down. First, his body is not as young and energetic as it used to be. Second, he is no longer able to financially support his family. For him, this is a humiliation because having a