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The Death Of A Salesman By Arthur Miller

Decent Essays

Both the authenticity and the purity of the American Dream have been put into question by various pieces of literature, such as the Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller, or even the modern classic American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis. With specific regard to The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, the death of the American Dream is seen through the eyes of Nick Carraway as he watches America’s morality and virtue disintegrate before him. The American Dream is supposed to represent the ideal that every U.S. citizen should have an equal opportunity to achieve success and prosperity through hard work, determination, and initiative. With that being said, the failure of the American Dream in the novel is epitomized by the lack of equality, moral values, and the ultimate demise of both Gatsby and the dreams for which he represented. Notably, social discrimination is undoubtedly a prominent factor in the downfall of the American Dream. The Valley of Ashes is used as a physical representation of the prominent division between the upper and lower class. The fact that the rich hold such a deep aberration for the poor is further exhibited through the relationship between Tom Buchanan and George Wilson; Tom establishes his unquestionable superiority over Wilson and constantly looks down on him, as demonstrated by the quote, “He’s so dumb he doesn’t know he’s alive” (26). Myrtle, like her husband, is not immune to Tom’s powerful presence, in fact, she embraces his wealth as if it was

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