Willy American Dream

Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman gives its readers a look into the life of a man named Willy Loman. Willy, like any other man during his time, was after one thing; the American dream. The American dream might be different according to whose dream it is, and many characters throughout the play were able to achieve their version of the American dream. Willy’s dream, however, had many standards that seemed to be impossible to reach. His philosophy of the American dream revolved mainly around the ability to be well-liked and making a substantial amount of money. Being a salesman, Willy believes that being well-liked is essential in his line of work, and would therefore lead to more sales which in turn leads to more money, thus fulfilling his

His brother Ben appeared to him multiple times and was a role model to Willy. Unlike Ben, Willy did not have the luck of finding instant fortune in the discovery of diamonds, however, he believes that he can gain the same kind of fortune by being well-liked. At one point during the play, he tells Ben, “It's who you know and the smile on your face! It's contacts, Ben, contacts! The whole wealth of Alaska passes over the lunch table at the Commodore Hotel, and that's the wonder, the wonder of this country, that a man can end with diamonds here on the basis of being liked!” (Miller). What Willy didn’t know is that the occupation of salesmanship has changed immensely since he first became a salesman. In the late 1800’s and early 1900’s, salesmen travelled by foot or wagon from door to door to advertise his products (Ansarey, 152). This type of salesmanship was the kind that Willy was used to. Salesmen had to be enthusiastic and well-liked to sell their products, along with being relatable and personal with their customers. When the art of selling became more modern in the mid 1900’s, there emerged a new type of salesman that had characteristics perfect for the tasks he was to perform. These characteristics included good health, intelligence, sociability, and ambition along with enthusiasm (Ansarey, 154). Immediately, Willy is excluded from this category of the perfect salesman. His mental health was in bad shape. As seen in the play, Willy repeatedly retreats to memories of good times, and bad times, in his life and eventually the different time periods begin to mesh together so that it was almost uncertain what time period Willy was actually living in. These changes in salesmanship and the state of his mental health put an end to Willy’s already absurd version of the American dream. The dream turns into a nightmare as