Post by colleens1 on Mar 19, 2008 20:31:25 GMT -5
Colleen Smith
Period 2
742
The American Dreamer: The Futility of the American Dream in Miller’s Death of a Salesman
Arthur Miller’s play, Death of a Salesman, is a condemnation of the American dream and capitalism. Miller wrote the play in the late forties, but its themes remain relevant today. Miller’s depiction of the futile American dream fostered by a ruthless system of capitalism is relevant today because as in Miller’s time, standards of success are set too high and upward mobility is difficult for the average American.
In Death of a Salesman, Willy is deluded by a limited concept of the American dream, in which the ultimate goal is upward mobility. After his father’s death, Happy claims that his father had “the only dream you can have – to come out number-one man” (Miller 139). Society fosters dreams of being the best and gaining wealth and Willy buys into this. However, Willy is not a good salesman and his aspirations to get to the top of his profession go unrewarded. The one thing that Willy is good at is building. Biff, who is not deluded by the American dream or his father’s lies, states that, “there’s more of [Willy] in that front stoop than in all the sales he ever made (138).” Willy has the wrong dreams, and he aspires to be a successful businessman because society does not reward what he is good at. The American dream also deludes Willy because he will not accept anything less than his aspirations. He takes money from Charley every week to get by, but will not take a job from him because it would mean accepting that his dream will not become a reality. The American dream remains just as unreachable today. Our culture is obsessed with money and celebrity, and like Willy, few people aspire to blue collar professions. Modern society continues to set standards of success that are difficult to reach. One example of this is the college admissions frenzy in high-schools. Students set impossibly high standards for getting into Ivy League or name brand colleges, and it is considered shocking for a student not to go to college at all. These standards tell students that success always means going to a good college and getting a high paying job. In Death of a Salesman and in modern society the American Dream is limited only to upward mobility.
While society fosters the promise of a limited American dream in Death of a Salesman, it fails to allow for actual upward mobility. Willy’s pursuit of the dream is futile. Though he is hard working he is not a good salesman. The garden that Willy tries to grow before he dies represents the futility of his dream. Like Willy’s dream, the plants in the garden must either flourish or die, but the city does not allow for growth. Like the garden that can not thrive in the city environment, Willy can not thrive in the do or die capitalist economy of America, in which few excel. Biff insightfully describes his father as, “a hard-working drummer who landed in the ash can like the rest of them” (132). Willy is unexceptional and hard work is not enough for him to fulfill his dream. In modern society, hard work in no way ensures success either. The gap between the rich and poor in the United States is continuously growing. For every person that lives the American dream and benefits from capitalism, there are many who live in poverty. The idea that America is a land of equal opportunity is a myth, even today. The American dream is unique because it assumes that class in American comes from wealth and is not hereditary. However, wealth is inherited and upward mobility is increasingly difficult for most Americans. The poor are most likely to remain in poverty, whereas the rich are most likely to remain rich. Though American society fosters the idea of an American Dream based on upward mobility, this dream is not possible for most people.
Miller’s criticism of capitalism and the American dream in Death of a Salesman remains extremely relevant in modern society. The American dream is unreachable for most people and is limited in its definition of what success means. Capitalism helps the minority while tremendously hindering the majority. Like Willy in Death of a Salesman, the average American will not achieve the American dream. As long as capitalism exists, Millers criticism of the American dream will remain relevant.
Period 2
742
The American Dreamer: The Futility of the American Dream in Miller’s Death of a Salesman
Arthur Miller’s play, Death of a Salesman, is a condemnation of the American dream and capitalism. Miller wrote the play in the late forties, but its themes remain relevant today. Miller’s depiction of the futile American dream fostered by a ruthless system of capitalism is relevant today because as in Miller’s time, standards of success are set too high and upward mobility is difficult for the average American.
In Death of a Salesman, Willy is deluded by a limited concept of the American dream, in which the ultimate goal is upward mobility. After his father’s death, Happy claims that his father had “the only dream you can have – to come out number-one man” (Miller 139). Society fosters dreams of being the best and gaining wealth and Willy buys into this. However, Willy is not a good salesman and his aspirations to get to the top of his profession go unrewarded. The one thing that Willy is good at is building. Biff, who is not deluded by the American dream or his father’s lies, states that, “there’s more of [Willy] in that front stoop than in all the sales he ever made (138).” Willy has the wrong dreams, and he aspires to be a successful businessman because society does not reward what he is good at. The American dream also deludes Willy because he will not accept anything less than his aspirations. He takes money from Charley every week to get by, but will not take a job from him because it would mean accepting that his dream will not become a reality. The American dream remains just as unreachable today. Our culture is obsessed with money and celebrity, and like Willy, few people aspire to blue collar professions. Modern society continues to set standards of success that are difficult to reach. One example of this is the college admissions frenzy in high-schools. Students set impossibly high standards for getting into Ivy League or name brand colleges, and it is considered shocking for a student not to go to college at all. These standards tell students that success always means going to a good college and getting a high paying job. In Death of a Salesman and in modern society the American Dream is limited only to upward mobility.
While society fosters the promise of a limited American dream in Death of a Salesman, it fails to allow for actual upward mobility. Willy’s pursuit of the dream is futile. Though he is hard working he is not a good salesman. The garden that Willy tries to grow before he dies represents the futility of his dream. Like Willy’s dream, the plants in the garden must either flourish or die, but the city does not allow for growth. Like the garden that can not thrive in the city environment, Willy can not thrive in the do or die capitalist economy of America, in which few excel. Biff insightfully describes his father as, “a hard-working drummer who landed in the ash can like the rest of them” (132). Willy is unexceptional and hard work is not enough for him to fulfill his dream. In modern society, hard work in no way ensures success either. The gap between the rich and poor in the United States is continuously growing. For every person that lives the American dream and benefits from capitalism, there are many who live in poverty. The idea that America is a land of equal opportunity is a myth, even today. The American dream is unique because it assumes that class in American comes from wealth and is not hereditary. However, wealth is inherited and upward mobility is increasingly difficult for most Americans. The poor are most likely to remain in poverty, whereas the rich are most likely to remain rich. Though American society fosters the idea of an American Dream based on upward mobility, this dream is not possible for most people.
Miller’s criticism of capitalism and the American dream in Death of a Salesman remains extremely relevant in modern society. The American dream is unreachable for most people and is limited in its definition of what success means. Capitalism helps the minority while tremendously hindering the majority. Like Willy in Death of a Salesman, the average American will not achieve the American dream. As long as capitalism exists, Millers criticism of the American dream will remain relevant.