Willy Loman's Interpretation Of The American Dream

The interpretation of the American Dream can be different or the same between people. When people come to America or they are already living in the country they want to live up to the American Dream of making it big in life and becoming rich fast. In the play Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller, Willy Loman, a working class salesman, believes being well liked and popular is the true way to achieve the American Dream. His values are passed down to his son, Biff Loman, who follows his father's examples, until he realizes his own true American Dream.

For most, the American Dream is a sure fire shot at true happiness.  It represents hope for a successful, fortune-filled future.  Though most agree on the meaning of the American Dream, few follow the same path to achieving it.  For struggling salesman Willy Loman, achieving this dream would mean a completely fulfilled existence.  Unfortunately, Willy's simplistic ideas on how to accomplish his goal are what ultimately prevent him from reaching it.

Willy wants dearly for Biff to become a business success, although Biff has an internal struggle between pleasing his father and doing what he feels is

The American Dream is something many Americans desire. The desire to the mind – set or belief that anyone can be successful if they worked hard for what they’ve been yearning. It is considered to be a ‘perfect life’; it can be full of money, contentedness or even love. There are many divergent opinions given by people. Walter Younger from Lorraine Hansberry’s ‘A Raisin in the Sun’ and Willy Loman from Arthur Miller’s ‘Death of the Salesman’ both have their own views on the American Dream and how it can be achieved. Walter Lee Younger, a

He gives up on his dreams of being rich and prepares to return to a simple life he enjoys. Also being back home and building a stronger relationship with his father,makes him realize how he wants to help Willy. While Biff is speaking, he mentions why he gives up the idea of being successful.“BIFF: He walked away. I saw him for one minute. I got so mad I could’ve torn the walls down! How the hell did I ever get the idea I was a salesman there? I even believed myself that I’d been a salesman for him! And then he gave me one look and — I realized what a ridiculous lie my whole life has been! We’ve been talking in a dream for fifteen years. I was a shipping clerk.” (page 76). He believed this was his only chance of being rich so when his old boss didn’t recognize him , he knew he wasn’t gonna get anywhere . This is when he dumped the idea of being successful. Throughout most of the play, he procrastinates for a simpler life. So the acceptance of the thought of the American Dream not happening, works out well for Biff. A very important aspect through this play is the relationship between Biff and Willy. Biff saving Willy from suicide shows just how much he want to help his father. In act 1 page 51 :Willy [staring through the window into the moonlight]: “Gee, look at the moon moving between the buildings!” [biff wraps the tubing around his hand and quickly goes up the stairs.]This shows biff wanting to protect Willy because he removed the tubing willy was using to try and kill himself, something Linda was telling him about in the beginning of the book. While helping his father Biff also realizes that he is ready to return to a simple life he enjoys. In act 1 pages 13 and 14, Biff even invites his brother Happy to live with him out West to start up a ranch and speaks about it with enthusiasm.Biff says to Happy, “ Why don't you come out West with me?... mabe we could buy a ranch.Raise cattle, use our

Biff is the favorite son of Willy and he is one of the few characters to develop during the play. As a boy, Willy clearly favors Biff and this favoritism gives him a distorted vision of how the world functions. This warped world is seen when Willy discovers that Biff has stolen a football, but instead of disciplining him he praises him and says that the coach will “admire his initiative.” (Miller 32) Although Biff seemed close with his father during his early life.

The American Dream is the idea that through hard work anything is possible. Former U.S. Senator from Wyoming Craig L. Thomas once said, "You stuff someone into the American Dream, and it becomes a prison." Arthur Miller proves this to be true throughout his play, Death of a Salesman, which is about the plight of a common man, Willy Loman, as he tries to conquer the dream and raise his sons, Biff and Happy, to do so as well. Willy views the American Dream as a life in which one obtains economic success and superiority over others. Willy Loman's obsession with achieving the American Dream confines his family and it ultimately causes him to take his own life, leaving Happy stuck trying to reach the impossible as Biff escapes from it.

The "American Dream" is the idea that any man or woman can make his or her own fortune, regardless of his or her past. The American dream grasps the idea that if one believes and tries hard enough he or she will prosper, and be rewarded with the ultimate prize: happiness. Willy Loman's idea of The American Dream does not differ greatly from this definition although while trying to pursue this dream, Willy's mind steadily wandered further and further away from the reality of it all. Willy is trying to accomplish this success through this thought, believing that being "well liked" and working very hard will be enough to obtain his ideal success. Unfortunately, Willy was wrong.

Willy strongly believes in the American Dream, that anybody can achieve wealth, but his version of it is one that is nearly impossible to obtain. Everybody except Willy has lived the dream, his brother discovered a diamond mine, Charley his neighbor owns a chain of stores, Charley’s son Bernard became a lawyer, and Howard inherited a company from his father. Ben being that main influence on Willy’s beliefs of the American Dream causes Willy to believe that if you look good, manly, and are well liked, that you would automatically achieve success.

Willy, the father in the play, is a salesman that has been on the hunt for success in life. Willy measured his success with materialistic things, and he would always compare his success to others. He lost his focus on what was important, his family. His wife, Linda, knows the troubles Willy has had and his pain. She tries to get Biff to be more compassionate with him by saying, "Be loving to him. Because he’s only a little boat looking for a harbor" (Miller 76). Willy betrayed his wife while on a sales trip by having a mistress. His son Biff finds out about his mistress, and he feels betrayed by him. Willy alienates himself from Biff instead of facing the reality. Willy feels that Biff was not successful in life as he should have been. The irony is that

Death of a Salesman, by Arthur Miller, is a great novel for life lessons and the true meaning of the American Dream. The novel tracks Willy Loman, an unreliable, self-bamboozled voyaging businessperson. Willy accepts wholeheartedly in the American Dream of simple achievement and riches, however he has never accomplished it. Nor do his children satisfy his trust that they will succeed where he has fizzled. At the point when Willy's illusions start to come up short under the squeezing substances of his life, his emotional well-being starts to unwind. The mind-boggling strains brought on by this difference, and additionally those created by the societal objectives that drive Willy, shape the vital clash of Death of a Salesman.

Willy Loman caused the anxiety and suffering of numerous characters throughout the play with one of them being Biff Loman, Willy’s eldest son. For instance, “Willy: Biff Loman is… in no time,” (Miller 8). In the beginning of the play, Willy brings up the fact that Biff has been working on the farm making less than 35 dollars a week. Willy is struggling to discern why Biff has not become lucrative yet since he is attractive and a hard worker, which are both critical traits needed to succeed and achieve the American Dream according to Willy. Willy presumes that Biff is lost and doesn’t know how to succeed so he suggests the idea that Biff should become a salesman since Willy believes a salesman will cause anyone to become successful. Moreover,

Throughout history, people have become obsessed with the idea of living the American Dream. The American Dream, revered by many, is the belief that someone who comes from nothing can become rich and completely turn their life around. They believe that prosperity and success will increase their happiness and allow them to be well liked. Similarly, in Death of a Salesman, Willy’s obsession with materialism pushes him to reach his death, which ultimately symbolizes the death of the American Dream.

There is an optimistic, hopeful mood at the beginning of Act II because Biff and Willy are both looking forward to bettering themselves. Biff is hopeful because he is going to ask his old boss to invest in his future. In the play he says, “Remember Bill Oliver…If I could get ten thousand or even seven or eight thousand dollars I could buy a beautiful ranch.” Biff believes that he will be able to get a large loan from a man he worked for over a decade ago. This will better his life because he will be able to make money with his own products on his very own ranch. He is optimistic. On the other hand, Willy is hopeful because he is going to ask his boss, Howard, for a new territory closer to home. In the play, Linda asks Willy if he will

This is essentially where it all unravels and the two children actually understand the mental state of their father. When he comes home he finally admits to Linda that he is ‘tired’ and is struggling to travel back and forth to the city anymore. He also becomes very worked up when he talks to Linda about Biff. Once he decides to go down stairs and get some cheese, one of his favorite foods, the boys come into the scene. Happy and Biff discuss what they are doing with their lives, Happy is unhappy with assistant job and Biff has never truly had a job to hold down. This scene flashes back to Willy and his disappointment in Biff, clearly the favorite least successful child. He is upset that he did not go farther than he did and that all they ever do is fight. This frustration sends Willy into one of his fits where reality and dreams become a blur for him, thus flashing back to the early days of the family. About this time the rest of the family comes down the stairs and mother and sons finally discuss and evaluate the situation with Willy. At this point there is essentially a fight between mainly Linda and Biff about how Biff treats Willy and what he needs to be doing. Linda makes it very clear how sick Willy is and how Biff is going to be the one to save his life. From this point, the boys decide that they will go into