Post by twin1 on Mar 20, 2008 8:47:11 GMT -5
DG
WORD COUNT:622
PERIOD 7
A Dollar and a Dream: An Analyzation of the American Dream in Modern Society
Arthur Miller’s play, Death of a Salesman, explores the American dream as an omnipresent tenant of society and as a crisis that all Americans participate in. Within the dream, the ideals of success, power, and liberty are preached and therefore imbibed by successive generations of children, ensuring that the dream will never be extinguished. Due to the fact that the dream is so prevalent in a modern America and in the play as a major theme, it can be said that the play has relevance in today’s modern world.
The desire to become the best can be effectively seen through the reality television programs that have become so conventional in America. These programs, to a degree, imitate American life; they are documentations of real-life, unscripted, events. Because these programs mirror American life, it is not surprising that shows like American Idol and The Apprentice have become reflective of the American dream. In both programs, people desperately vie for a top singing career or the coveted executive job. When the show ends, only one person manages to emerge as “the best”. All other participants are eventually forgotten as, “Hard-working drummer [whom land] in the ash can like all the rest of them” (132)! These programs then, speak to the dream. A context in which only a few can succeed truly mirrors the Dave Singleman aspect of the play. By portraying a scenario in which, “everyone must conquer the world,” it can be said that American modern society still connects in a powerful way to a major theme of the play (85).
Another demonstration of the American dream in contemporary society is the excessive purchasing of lottery tickets and the American lottery obsession as a whole. It is not uncommon for people to buy a ticket, secretly hoping that it will bring them fortune. Society tells individuals that with only a few dollars it is possible to become a millionaire. However, with such a small chance of winning, one would wonder why so many people willingly pump money into the system. This can be most effectively explained in terms of the American dream. Primarily, the lottery presents an opportunity to achieve but also to do so with minimal effort. In addition, advertising promotes only the winners, causing people to doggedly try to win though chances of doing so are unlikely. By propagating winners and feigning ignorance to the countless losers, the lottery maintains a link with the American dream, and therefore the play. Exposing the victorious keeps citizens’ “phony dreams” alive, and causes them to constantly buy into the crisis. This theme is clearly displayed in the play as Happy witnesses first- hand the detriments of the dream, by way of his father’s death. However, despite this knowledge he asserts that, “He had a good dream,” and that, “the only dream you can have [is] to come out number- one man” (139). He chooses to ignore the fact that the dream is not “good” but is conversely destructive, acknowledging instead the one Dave Singleman that society bolsters and not the millions of failures like Willy Loman. The fact that society still participates in a destructive dream speaks to the relevance of the play in today’s America.
In truth, as long as America exists, there will be an American Dream. As this country operates there are and will always be millions whom are willing to invest in an ideal that could possibly destroy them. In the play as well as in society, it is clear that despite failure people will continue to partake in the dream, demonstrating clearly that Death of a Salesman will have pertinence as long as America thrives.
WORD COUNT:622
PERIOD 7
A Dollar and a Dream: An Analyzation of the American Dream in Modern Society
Arthur Miller’s play, Death of a Salesman, explores the American dream as an omnipresent tenant of society and as a crisis that all Americans participate in. Within the dream, the ideals of success, power, and liberty are preached and therefore imbibed by successive generations of children, ensuring that the dream will never be extinguished. Due to the fact that the dream is so prevalent in a modern America and in the play as a major theme, it can be said that the play has relevance in today’s modern world.
The desire to become the best can be effectively seen through the reality television programs that have become so conventional in America. These programs, to a degree, imitate American life; they are documentations of real-life, unscripted, events. Because these programs mirror American life, it is not surprising that shows like American Idol and The Apprentice have become reflective of the American dream. In both programs, people desperately vie for a top singing career or the coveted executive job. When the show ends, only one person manages to emerge as “the best”. All other participants are eventually forgotten as, “Hard-working drummer
Another demonstration of the American dream in contemporary society is the excessive purchasing of lottery tickets and the American lottery obsession as a whole. It is not uncommon for people to buy a ticket, secretly hoping that it will bring them fortune. Society tells individuals that with only a few dollars it is possible to become a millionaire. However, with such a small chance of winning, one would wonder why so many people willingly pump money into the system. This can be most effectively explained in terms of the American dream. Primarily, the lottery presents an opportunity to achieve but also to do so with minimal effort. In addition, advertising promotes only the winners, causing people to doggedly try to win though chances of doing so are unlikely. By propagating winners and feigning ignorance to the countless losers, the lottery maintains a link with the American dream, and therefore the play. Exposing the victorious keeps citizens’ “phony dreams” alive, and causes them to constantly buy into the crisis. This theme is clearly displayed in the play as Happy witnesses first- hand the detriments of the dream, by way of his father’s death. However, despite this knowledge he asserts that, “He had a good dream,” and that, “the only dream you can have [is] to come out number- one man” (139). He chooses to ignore the fact that the dream is not “good” but is conversely destructive, acknowledging instead the one Dave Singleman that society bolsters and not the millions of failures like Willy Loman. The fact that society still participates in a destructive dream speaks to the relevance of the play in today’s America.
In truth, as long as America exists, there will be an American Dream. As this country operates there are and will always be millions whom are willing to invest in an ideal that could possibly destroy them. In the play as well as in society, it is clear that despite failure people will continue to partake in the dream, demonstrating clearly that Death of a Salesman will have pertinence as long as America thrives.