Research Paper On Willy Loman

The American Dream?

“Life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement" regardless of social class or circumstances of birth. The American Dream is rooted in the Declaration of Independence, which proclaims that "all men are created equal" with the right to "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness”. (Kamp, David, 2009)

The definition of the American Dream is attributed James Truslow Adams but the ideals behind the terms date back to the founding of the United States. It was upon the ideal of the founding fathers that the concept began and through the mass migrations the ability of anyone from any where could come to this country an through hard work could accomplish their

Willy is an old man by the time we encounter his character who is passing out and is easily confused day dreams and exhibits the warning signs of dementia when we first meet him but like so much about the character Willy Loman there is a lot more going on than on the surface.

Willy is an intensely ego driven man whose life is a contradiction. He dreams throughout the play and schemes ways to further those dreams. Willy starts by stating “he didn’t crash the car again” upon returning to the house from his journey to which Linda keeps asking him having crashed intentionally several times before (implied). So his past has made him attempt suicide before and thus he wasn’t as disturbed as thought because in order to accomplish this he must plan and to plan he must have the facilities of mind to plan. “The force takes hold with the very title, which is highly evocative--both declaring the significance of a (not "the") salesman's death and finding value in his very ordinariness or anonymity--and is amplified by the opening sight of Willy Loman coming in the door.” (Carduillo,

Everything Willy did was to bolster his self-esteem. His reasoning for going into sales was because he thought being well known and coming face to face with people would make him well liked. His reasons for ignoring Happy but fawning all over Biff was because Biff was going to be well known thus could make him well known. Even His planned suicide was only a means to make him revered by his family but it is his own fantasy that he will be remembered like his old co-worker that his funeral was packed.

Willy was well aware of his inadequacies. It was a quirk of the character that he would boast about how well liked he was to his children then would confide in Linda that the people in Boston called him fat, and that they laughed at him and mostly no one remembered or cared about him.

“Willy Loman with three dreams which are represented by three different characters in his mind: i) Ben and financial success at all costs (or J.P. Morgan "with his pockets on"); ii) Dave Singleman, the man who was "well-liked"; iii) Bernard (and possibly Charley, though we don't know by what means foul or fair he became rich), that is to say meritocracy and hard work linked to a series of ethical values such as respect for those who did not make it.” (Thomières,