Willy and the American Dream

Paper Summary:

The paper shows how Arthur Miller's play, "Death of a Salesman" epitomizes the failed pursuit of the American Dream. The paper analyzes Willy's character flaws that are his inability to accept reality, his failure to do anything proactive and his refusal to accept responsibility for his life.

From the Paper:

"Willy's primary character flaw is his inability to accept reality. He is blind because he cannot see that his life has taken a turn for the worse. Willy has a dream and, while this is not a bad thing, at some point, Willy must realize hat his dream is leading him nowhere. This is something that is too difficult for him to accept, so he avoids thinking about it. This compounds his problem and, as a result, Willy's career goes downhill year after year. For Willy, life is easier living in denial. He believes that one day, he will be a success. He still thinks that he will "knock Howard for a loop, kid. I'll get an advance, and I'll come home with a New York job" (Miller II.1070-1). After he becomes a success, he thinks he will never have to "get behind another wheel" (II.1071) again. While we can admire Willy for never giving up on his dream, we must also feel pity for him because he never saw the truth of his life."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Miller, Arthur. Death of a Salesman. An Introduction to Literature. Sylvan Barnet, ed. Boston: Little, Brown and Company. 1985. pp. 1030-1114.

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