A play that demonstrates the emptiness of the American dream ‘Death of a Salesman’ Essay

A play that demonstrates the emptiness of the Ameri tush dream. How far do you fit out with this assessment of end of a Salesman?It is evident from the root view of stopping headland of a salesman that there be definite, negative realities in the American dream. From typography this play, Miller has strongly illustrated that the American dream produces an image that human worth(predicate) and value can be measured in financial terms. During 1940s America, capitalism and consumerism was at its strongest with the American dream acting as a predator to the unsuspicious, determined and advantage-hungry businessmen of America. Although some of these men prospered in creating a winning business and earned a lot of money, others failed and entangle that their own sm solely achievements were put down and insignificant.In the play, Willy (like other American salesmen) has focussed his spirit and attention on achieving the American dream and being a successful role model to his s ons. Willy, however, does not accomplish success and alternatively falls victim to capitalism. His main belief is that popularity leads to personal and business triumph, and mercantile items prove that he is well liked and loved by his friends and family. even off though Willy cannot cede expansive gifts, the American dream is found on materialising love and determine and Willy does this when he buys Biff and Happy a lap bag branded with Gene Tunneys signature.Although at root this gift seems appreciated, lovinga than flatter and excite, materialism and brand names haunt Willy with debt and insecurity, yet he felt obliged to provide for his sons and determined to break through in the American dream. Willy is a failure and his suicide attempts displayed an unproductive, exhausted man. He gets that what he does attain ar exonerate achievements and his bad manoeuvers and designers for failure were apparent such as in muming false values into his sons. It can be interp reted that, because Willy was ineffective, when he did achieve something, it was insignificant and empty although some critics may feel that his lack of success may mean he roll more than pride in his minor accomplishments such as DIY about the house.This is shown when Willy is toilsome to impress his neighbour Charley by saying Did you see the roof I put in the living-room? Willy and Linda had only one salary left on their twenty five year mortgage beforehand the house is their own, and Linda feels quite content and happy about this. But Willy is still unhappy, questioning the reason for owning the house in the first place What show up?. Owning the house is an empty accomplishment for Willy, even though it took so big to achieve. Work a lifetime to pay off a house. You at last own it, and theres nobody left to live in it. this alone demonstrates the emptiness of consumerism and the American dream.It is also illustrated that the American dream is an empty achievement whe n, at the beginning of the play, Happy and Biff are discussing their involution and future. At this point, Happy indicates that his managers success is empty, with him building a house that he cant enjoy once its finished. Happy states that he is generally achieving e trulything that he wanted, yet they are not important to him they are empty accomplishments. He even questions the reason why he is working just as Willy questioned the point of the house, because all he is achieving from working is pointless and empty success. It could be argued that Miller is trying to pursue the idea that it is the process of success that is more important than success itself. This strongly questions American values, as many people follow the American dream which holds the belief that material items are more important and that they cook up personal and business victory.However, Happy is successful personally to compensate for his empty achievements as a clerk. He seduces the fiances of his manager s because he has an over-developed instinct of competition Happy takes what he wants even though he seemingly hates himself for it, indicating the use of the bad morals taught to the boys by Willy. This again could be construed as an purposeless success in the process of achieving the American dream. Another point of perspective is that the women, like materialistic items and commercialism, may produce status in the American social system, but they also produce stress and not necessarily happiness.Willy is in constant competition with his neighbour Charley, continuously aiming to be bigger than Uncle Charley and promising his sons this success. This point suggests that materialism and the American dream are more important than general well-being and human worth, and some critics feel that through this neighbourly competition, Miller is questioning the values of America as a whole. Willys mind and psychology also breakdown because of his obsession with the American dream, and his dreams become phantasys. Eventually, Willy is fighting with illusions and reality and believes all he is worth is his insurance money, stressing the idea that the American dream is empty and human values can be measured economically. The irony of Linda declaring were free at the end of the play is both ironic and tragic as although she is today free of debt, the empty American dream the illuded both Willy and herself is still retention her and others ensnared.On the other hand, in contrast to Willy, Charley is successful and has a fulfilling occupational group and achieved the American dream. Willy is very envious of Charley, so much so that his pride, green-eyed monster and stubbornness prevents him from accepting a job off Charley, even when he is unemployed I just cant work for you, Charley. Similarly, Howard, although fell to Willy and fires him, is very successful. He has a happy, idealistic family life. He is able to afford materialistic goods, can provide for his family , is not overridden by debt and is generally finish by his success and the American dream. Howard is very proud and boastful to imbibe achieved the American dream and this is shown when he boasts his tape recording machine to Willy, who is obviously resentful.Howards other material possessions appear to be unimportant compared to the tape recorder and are no longer required, showing Howard to be a rather wasteful person. This again implies that, in difference to Willy, Howard is extremely successful and is enjoy in consumerism, finding the American dream very rewarding. However, another point of view could be that Howard, like Willy, finds the American dream empty as he is not enjoying what he has achieved, and is just replacing everything with a more modern or expensive model.In dissimilarity to Willy, Charley is a genuine, kind and caring neighbour, and is not at all in competition with Willy. Therefore, Charley values human worth and this suggests that American values are not gruelling mainly on accomplishment. Charley has not let the American dream turn his ideas of human worth and values, and he does not think that human life can be measured financially. He actually seems genuinely worry at Willys hints towards suicide and says to him nobodys worth zilch dead.Charley is realistic compared to Willy, who is idealistic and living in his own fantasy. with his success, Charley sees Willys faults and reasons for his failure and tries to make Willy acknowledge this by constantly intercommunicate Willy, when are you going to grow up?. Charley recognises Willys fantasies are incorrectly and he tries to help him. This shows that the American dream has not diminished Charleys character as it has Willys and Charleys success mean she can help Willy financially. This can be interpreted as Charley using his red-blooded achievements to help Willy.For Charley, his dream has become a reality not an illusion. Charley may have also become victim to capitalism but , in equation to Willy, he is thriving off it whereas it is destroying Willy. He is content with his success and feels carry out by his achievements, suggesting that the play does not entirely demonstrate the emptiness of the American dream but the fulfilments also. Miller himself argues that the play is not entirely based on the faults of the American dream although it does question American values very powerfully. He strengthens his argument because, although Willy is defeated by the American dream, Charley is entirely successful without creating personal flaws from his dreams of success. Bernard, his son, is also a genuine (as well as successful) person a complete difference from Willys sons.As a result, Death of a salesman almost perfectly depicts aspects of the American dream today. Our twenty first century ideals, dreams and illusions echo, even more so perhaps, the prosperous America of l years ago. It can be related to by people of our finis today as well as those from t he 1940s, making the powerful reminders of the illusion focused on in Death of a Salesman completely relevant to our world. It is from this that I have come to the conclusion that, although Death of a Salesman subtly contains stories of success due to the American dream, this play is a textbook example of the emptiness of the American dream and consumerism where failure and disappointment eats outside at happiness and confidence, but success is, similarly, an empty accomplishment.