Post by alanw07 on Mar 19, 2008 17:58:10 GMT -5
AW
word count (708)
The play Death of a Salesman, by Arthur Miller, portrays the hardships of a lower middle class family trying to earn a living in an unforgiving 1940’s America. Willy Loman, the father, works diligently and always aspires to be a great salesman, but he sees his dreams crushed as he spirals deeper into debt, shame, and failure. He uses the defense mechanism of denial to alleviate his situation, and continually hopes for a better future. As the future becomes the present and Willy moves into a new future, the reader can see the vicious nature of the unconditional optimism of the American Dream. In Miller’s mind, every American who succumbs to the consensus is plagued with this eternal notion that the man who works hard will see his efforts rewarded. While Miller speaks to an America of seven decades ago, the reality he presents is not all that different today. The idea from Death of a Salesman that the American Dream is faulty can still be seen in modern America, as lower class citizens and immigrants looking to work hard are left penniless and jobless as their jobs are outsourced to other countries.
Unlike the American Dream proposes, hard work is not always rewarded, evidenced both by Willy Loman and modern outsourcing. Willy works diligently, traveling all over New England to make a living, and often dreams of having the successes of Dave Singleman, an exemplary salesman who symbolically embodies Willy’s unattainable dream. Willy continually subscribes to the rhetoric, “the wonder of this country, that a man can end with diamonds here on the basis of being liked.” However, he gets fired from the job he has worked so hard doing and is rejected as a salesman by his company. Linda continues to have faith throughout, making claims such as “It’s changing Willy, I can feel it changing!” This pathetic hope aptly demonstrates the futility of the American Dream. In society today, many immigrants come to America and become part of the working class, anxious to work hard at fairly menial yet necessary jobs. They are fixated on the idea that through their efforts their dreams will come to fruition in America. However, many of these jobs are outsourced to countries with cheaper labor, such as China and India. If much of the lower class is unemployed, they are unable to better themselves, and the dream can never be realized.
Along with Dave Singleman, Ben also becomes symbolic of Willy’s hopes as well as his failures. Willy admires Ben and wishes to take part in activities that parallel those in Ben’s success; Ben’s “adventure into the jungle” becomes symbolic of Willie’s continual journey as a salesman. Willy sees Ben as a reality, while he unfortunately represents a triumph that Willy cannot achieve. However, Willy is spurred on, and continues to assert that this is “what [he has] been talking about! The greatest things can happen!” This unrealistic hope is what many immigrants come to America in search of, only to find themselves in a difficult a situation, with jobs being outsourced to the countries they came from. Also, an inflated cost of living does not improve their lives. There are some success stories that prompt these ideas of “The American Dream,” and as these success stories continue to happen, they will be held as evidence that anyone can succeed in this country.
Unfortunately, Miller has captured the true essence of the American Dream: Although it is a wonderful thought, it can not always be realized solely through a wish to work hard and better oneself. It cannot be said that there is no prospect for those who work hard, but it is foolish to subscribe to the notion that this can become a reality for everyone. Some will succeed, like Dave Singleman, but a large majority will fail and be left in an unforgiving dust. The stories that will be heard are those of the Singlemans, the ones who start with nothing and truly experience the American Dream. There is always that tantalizing hope that will encourage people to pledge their efforts toward working hard in America, and they will always believe that it is truly the land of unlimited opportunity.
word count (708)
The play Death of a Salesman, by Arthur Miller, portrays the hardships of a lower middle class family trying to earn a living in an unforgiving 1940’s America. Willy Loman, the father, works diligently and always aspires to be a great salesman, but he sees his dreams crushed as he spirals deeper into debt, shame, and failure. He uses the defense mechanism of denial to alleviate his situation, and continually hopes for a better future. As the future becomes the present and Willy moves into a new future, the reader can see the vicious nature of the unconditional optimism of the American Dream. In Miller’s mind, every American who succumbs to the consensus is plagued with this eternal notion that the man who works hard will see his efforts rewarded. While Miller speaks to an America of seven decades ago, the reality he presents is not all that different today. The idea from Death of a Salesman that the American Dream is faulty can still be seen in modern America, as lower class citizens and immigrants looking to work hard are left penniless and jobless as their jobs are outsourced to other countries.
Unlike the American Dream proposes, hard work is not always rewarded, evidenced both by Willy Loman and modern outsourcing. Willy works diligently, traveling all over New England to make a living, and often dreams of having the successes of Dave Singleman, an exemplary salesman who symbolically embodies Willy’s unattainable dream. Willy continually subscribes to the rhetoric, “the wonder of this country, that a man can end with diamonds here on the basis of being liked.” However, he gets fired from the job he has worked so hard doing and is rejected as a salesman by his company. Linda continues to have faith throughout, making claims such as “It’s changing Willy, I can feel it changing!” This pathetic hope aptly demonstrates the futility of the American Dream. In society today, many immigrants come to America and become part of the working class, anxious to work hard at fairly menial yet necessary jobs. They are fixated on the idea that through their efforts their dreams will come to fruition in America. However, many of these jobs are outsourced to countries with cheaper labor, such as China and India. If much of the lower class is unemployed, they are unable to better themselves, and the dream can never be realized.
Along with Dave Singleman, Ben also becomes symbolic of Willy’s hopes as well as his failures. Willy admires Ben and wishes to take part in activities that parallel those in Ben’s success; Ben’s “adventure into the jungle” becomes symbolic of Willie’s continual journey as a salesman. Willy sees Ben as a reality, while he unfortunately represents a triumph that Willy cannot achieve. However, Willy is spurred on, and continues to assert that this is “what [he has] been talking about! The greatest things can happen!” This unrealistic hope is what many immigrants come to America in search of, only to find themselves in a difficult a situation, with jobs being outsourced to the countries they came from. Also, an inflated cost of living does not improve their lives. There are some success stories that prompt these ideas of “The American Dream,” and as these success stories continue to happen, they will be held as evidence that anyone can succeed in this country.
Unfortunately, Miller has captured the true essence of the American Dream: Although it is a wonderful thought, it can not always be realized solely through a wish to work hard and better oneself. It cannot be said that there is no prospect for those who work hard, but it is foolish to subscribe to the notion that this can become a reality for everyone. Some will succeed, like Dave Singleman, but a large majority will fail and be left in an unforgiving dust. The stories that will be heard are those of the Singlemans, the ones who start with nothing and truly experience the American Dream. There is always that tantalizing hope that will encourage people to pledge their efforts toward working hard in America, and they will always believe that it is truly the land of unlimited opportunity.