Salesman American Dream

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Recommended: Loman as a tragic hero in death of a salesman

Is success tied to the amount of money you make? In Death of a Salesman there are beliefs that money is tied to success. The American Dream is the main factor in the Loman’s lives. They all drown in a bath of lies which leads to their immense hope in the American Dream. Unfortunately, they believe in a faulty version of the dream. In the book, Miller displays how family, value of a man tied to his income, and self- deception eventually help lead to destruction. Willy believes he is the ‘king’ of the household. He is the husband and father and his family depends on his paycheck. He is not a very good father, though; he doesn’t care if his sons are doing something wrong. As a matter of fact he is not a really good husband either, for he does …show more content…

Miller shows this when Happy doesn’t do anything to stop his father from committing suicide, or when he abandons his father in the restaurant to achieve his own pleasures. Happy only wishes to please himself and doesn’t mind for his father’s well-being. Proof of this is when he returned home and Linda heatedly exclaims, “You invited him to dinner. He looks forward to it all day and then you desert him there.”(page 123). He didn’t spend another moment to think about his father who is having flashback in the bathroom when he leaves. This goes to show that Happy is a selfish being who doesn’t care about anyone including his own …show more content…

He no longer has a salary, but works on commission. He also has an incorrect view on the American Dream that he won’t let go of. He believes that in order for a man to be successful, he has to earn tons of money. Since he doesn’t earn anything anymore this affects his mentality. Willy is fixated on his incorrect dream and is definite that it is right. He believes that he can’t be a proper man if he cannot provide for his family. Willy is unable to reach his goal of climbing up the ladder that leads him to success, so he constantly calls on to his brother Ben. Ben went into jungle when he was seventeen and came out rich at the age of twenty-one (page 52). Willy dreams he can one day be as fortunate. But, the way he looks at the dream is all wrong, and with Willy’s hope to immediately be rich, it sets off his spiral of

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