Death Of A Salesman Role Ambiguity Analysis

Work For It (the American Dream)
During the early 20th century, economic disaster plagued the United States. Without a solid foundation for a stable economy, a result of the disapproval for centralized government power, businesses and the men that ran them longed for a free economy; free enterprise. The free enterprise system allowed businessmen to make their own decisions regarding the sale of products from their company without government intervention. The free market businessmen created allowed them to control the economy, and thus their lifestyles and families; a desirable aspect in the journey towards the American Dream. However, with new power comes greater responsibility. Without the regulation of the government on business practices,

Many American businessmen jumped into the free enterprise system for a chance at the American Dream unaware of the difficulty it took to establish a business. The system posed many complex challenges, and the common issue that leads individuals to fail was “role ambiguity,” or the “confusion that exists regarding responsibilities and how to [reach] them” (McFarland). Role ambiguity typically occurs when people make decisions without fully understanding how to reach the desired destination. When people experience role ambiguity, they are often easily influenced by other who they see succeed, in hopes that they can follow in successful footsteps. Arthur Miller’s “Death of a Salesman” exemplifies the vulnerability and confusion American businessmen endure under the free enterprise system. Throughout the play, an aspiring businessman, Willy Loman, lacks determination and work ethic from a misconception that good looks and popularity were the only things needed to succeed; a result of the media attention success stories displayed, and the ignorance towards the hard work success requires. In fact, Loman believed that “a man can end with diamonds [in the system] on the basis of being liked,” and resulted in his diminished work ethic from his reliance on looks and popularity. After struggling in the system for years, Loman’s son tells him that as a salesman, "the only

Looking back on the free enterprise system, many prospective American business owners would have been successful if it were not for the lack of willpower they had; a primary result of the misleading success stories that American society readily displayed. These success stories misrepresented the true means through which success in the free enterprise economy is obtained: determination and grit. Had past ‘failed’ businessmen realized that “putting your back into it” possessed the true secret to obtaining their dreams, families may have thrived rather than fallen. While this exact process haunted Willy Loman, a fictional character, he serves as a greater symbol for all men who weren't successful in the free enterprise economy. Willy’s delusional understanding of free economics, the same delusions that prevent real individuals from success, poses a real life challenge for all Americans. A challenge that, with education and determination, can be conquered and lead to an achievable American