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Death of a Salesman A Shattered Dream

Kimberly Green-Braden

1413 Glouchester Drive Jackson, MS 39212 601-982-7637 ID - 1294643 Kimberly.Green-Braden94643@go.hindscc.edu

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Death of a Salesman A Shattered Dream The American dream is the longstanding belief, held by members of its society, that anyone - regardless of race, creed, or socioeconomic status could attain success, wealth, and prosperity. This dream has been both captured and eluded by many. These societal beliefs play a large part in Arthur Millers play, Death of a Salesman. "Death of a Salesman," tells the story of Willy Loman, a traveling salesman, who encounters frustration and failure as he reflects on his life. Willys quest for the American dream leads to his demise because throughout his life, he pursues the illusion of the American dream and not the reality of it. Willys mindset on perfection, obsession with success, and constant reminiscence of the past and foretelling of the future, all contribute to his defeat in the end.
Willy Loman spent a lifetime chasing the American dream but ultimately he was sold on the wrong dream. He became enamored with the myth of American

ideals and chose to put aside his real talents in pursuit of fantasy.

In several instances of the play, we see that Willy is a skilled carpenter. He wants to remodel the front step just to boast to his brother, and he is continually repairing things around the house. However, he doesnt see carpentry as an acceptable occupation. It entails hard work and there isnt any glory in it. Instead, he chooses to follow the dream of being a successful salesman. The problem is that Willy doesnt seem to have any of the skills needed to be a salesman. He deludes himself into thinking he is capable of achieving the success attained by his role models his father, his brother, Ben, and Dave Singleman. They are what he envisions as the personification of the American dream. Willy only visualizes the end product, being successful, and not the process they may have gone through to achieve that success. Willy assumes that by being a salesman, like his father was he is automatically guaranteed success, and that it isnt something that he should have to work for. Material

Green-Braden 3 achievements, such as money, wealth, and popularity are his goals and his definition of success. On the other hand, self-fulfillment and happiness through hard work are not. By only focusing on the outer appearance of the American dream, Willy ignores the reality of the hard work and dedication required to obtain it. His constant preoccupation with being successful, being wellliked, and attaining that dream with the "perfect" job, the "perfect" family, and the "perfect" life, never leave his mind. It is Willys obsession with perfection that plagues him throughout his life. He has a very precise idea of how he envisions his life to be. Due to this perception, any entity that does not fit into this viewpoint infuriates him greatly. Willys need for perfection has drastic affects on his family. His attempt to mold his family to fit his image of the ideal American household causes their despondency. Willys inability to accept his family, as they are further isolates him from his children and reality. Perfection is an elusive illusion, just as the American dream. Willy fails to deal with reality by ignoring the present, distorting the past, and thinking only of the future. His inability to accept the reality of himself and the world around him inhibits his judgment and self worth. Willy often lies about his popularity and success in an effort to portray himself as the ideal man he so desires to be. At times, Willy even believes these lies himself. At one point in the play, Willy tells his family of how well liked he is in all of his towns and how vital he is to New England. Later, however, he reveals to Linda that no one remembers him and he is often laughed at. Willy distorts the truth so that he appears successful. At times when doing this is not possible, Willy looks to the future and thinks he can still achieve success then. Society provides us with the illusion that the attainment of the American dream is simple. No thought or regard is given to the hard work and dedication it takes to make the dream a

Green-Braden 4 reality. For every one person that makes it there is one hundred that failed. There are no shortcuts to success, a lesson Willy Loman never learned. Many factors lead to Willys tragic demise. None were as profound as the role that societys American Dream played and his own misguided attempts at success. Willy focused on the appearance of success and never on the reality of how to actually achieve it. Willys desperate attempt to hold onto a fleeting dream caused his downward spiral into his delusions and ultimately his tragic end.