Post by keeganw02 on Apr 7, 2008 17:35:53 GMT -5
The Fear of Failing the Family: Aspects of today’s society that can be seen in Death of a Salesman- the Shattering of the Dream
Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller was written in 1949. Nearly six decades later this play is still popular and widely read. The main character in Death of a Salesman, Willy Loman is an unsuccessful pathetic salesman who has chased the American dream. Unfortunately for Mr. Loman he winds up a financial disaster and a person filled with self deception and self hate. Many people in our society today believe in the American dream. The American dream states that through hard work, sacrifice, and perseverance one will receive many materialistic rewards which will bring them a sense of happiness and well being. Many people today still believe in the American dream and wind up no better than Mr. Loman. Just this past weekend Bear Sterns a major firm on Wall Street went bankrupt. Thousands of salesmen and traders of this powerful financial house saw their American dream crumble in hours. Some have spent their entire careers pursuing huge salaries, prestigious positions and vast accumulation of wealth. Their years of hard work perseverance and dreams were taken away instantaneously. In the past twenty years millions of American factory workers have seen their jobs outsourced to foreign lands. They find themselves without money, without health insurance and without hope for the future. Their American dream is lost forever and they perceive themselves as failures. Just like Mr. Loman these modern day American workers feel they have failed their families with their inability to sustain and provide for their offspring.
The characters that Miller develops in Death of a Salesman were true to life and still exist today. Mrs. Linda Loman like many house makers today believe that happiness will be obtained when the household is free of bills, mortgages and debt. They believe once these monetary obligations are met true freedom and happiness will prevail. Mrs. Loman similar to many mothers and house makers today was instrumental in providing the family with a sense of emotional stability. Although in their hearts they know all things are not right they never reveal that to their families. In fact, Mrs. Loman deceives herself at times, and accepts the blatant lies of Willy. When he returned from one of his business trips, he claimed to have earned much more money that he actually had. Even though Linda knew that he was doing poorly she told him, “you’re doing wonderful dear. You’re making seventy to a hundred dollars a week” (37).
The character Charley and his son Bernard are portrayed by Miller as a financially successful father and son. Mr. Loman likes these individuals, but he is envious of their positions in the world and their financial success. When Willy was out of a job, he still refused to accept one from Charley, due to his own pride. “The only thing you got in this world is what you can sell. And the funny thing is that you are a salesman, and you don’t know that” (97). Charley knew that Willy was still hung up on regrets and broken promises, and that it took too much of his pride to accept the job. In today’s society there are many folks who are overly concerned about their neighbors’ acquisitions and financial accomplishments.
Death of a Salesman is a relevant piece of literature today because so many are still chasing the American dream of obtaining wealth and acquiring goods. The tragedy of Mr. Loman’s life and for many American’s today is the fact that they have prescribed themselves to a life judged by ones accumulation of material possessions. That is a perversion of the true American dream. The American Dream should be the ability to gain self respect, spiritual well being and enjoy the love and communication of your family. Mr. Loman considered himself a failure because he pursued an empty and meaningless materialistic dream. In the end, he was left with little money and a strained relationship with his sons. At Willy’s funeral, Biff said, “he had the wrong dreams, all, all wrong” (138). The most important dream of all is nowhere near acquiring material goods—but rather chasing a dream of love and peace of mind.
Just like Mr. Loman today’s American workers feel they have failed their families with their inability to sustain and provide for their offspring.
Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller was written in 1949. Nearly six decades later this play is still popular and widely read. The main character in Death of a Salesman, Willy Loman is an unsuccessful pathetic salesman who has chased the American dream. Unfortunately for Mr. Loman he winds up a financial disaster and a person filled with self deception and self hate. Many people in our society today believe in the American dream. The American dream states that through hard work, sacrifice, and perseverance one will receive many materialistic rewards which will bring them a sense of happiness and well being. Many people today still believe in the American dream and wind up no better than Mr. Loman. Just this past weekend Bear Sterns a major firm on Wall Street went bankrupt. Thousands of salesmen and traders of this powerful financial house saw their American dream crumble in hours. Some have spent their entire careers pursuing huge salaries, prestigious positions and vast accumulation of wealth. Their years of hard work perseverance and dreams were taken away instantaneously. In the past twenty years millions of American factory workers have seen their jobs outsourced to foreign lands. They find themselves without money, without health insurance and without hope for the future. Their American dream is lost forever and they perceive themselves as failures. Just like Mr. Loman these modern day American workers feel they have failed their families with their inability to sustain and provide for their offspring.
The characters that Miller develops in Death of a Salesman were true to life and still exist today. Mrs. Linda Loman like many house makers today believe that happiness will be obtained when the household is free of bills, mortgages and debt. They believe once these monetary obligations are met true freedom and happiness will prevail. Mrs. Loman similar to many mothers and house makers today was instrumental in providing the family with a sense of emotional stability. Although in their hearts they know all things are not right they never reveal that to their families. In fact, Mrs. Loman deceives herself at times, and accepts the blatant lies of Willy. When he returned from one of his business trips, he claimed to have earned much more money that he actually had. Even though Linda knew that he was doing poorly she told him, “you’re doing wonderful dear. You’re making seventy to a hundred dollars a week” (37).
The character Charley and his son Bernard are portrayed by Miller as a financially successful father and son. Mr. Loman likes these individuals, but he is envious of their positions in the world and their financial success. When Willy was out of a job, he still refused to accept one from Charley, due to his own pride. “The only thing you got in this world is what you can sell. And the funny thing is that you are a salesman, and you don’t know that” (97). Charley knew that Willy was still hung up on regrets and broken promises, and that it took too much of his pride to accept the job. In today’s society there are many folks who are overly concerned about their neighbors’ acquisitions and financial accomplishments.
Death of a Salesman is a relevant piece of literature today because so many are still chasing the American dream of obtaining wealth and acquiring goods. The tragedy of Mr. Loman’s life and for many American’s today is the fact that they have prescribed themselves to a life judged by ones accumulation of material possessions. That is a perversion of the true American dream. The American Dream should be the ability to gain self respect, spiritual well being and enjoy the love and communication of your family. Mr. Loman considered himself a failure because he pursued an empty and meaningless materialistic dream. In the end, he was left with little money and a strained relationship with his sons. At Willy’s funeral, Biff said, “he had the wrong dreams, all, all wrong” (138). The most important dream of all is nowhere near acquiring material goods—but rather chasing a dream of love and peace of mind.
Just like Mr. Loman today’s American workers feel they have failed their families with their inability to sustain and provide for their offspring.