Wealth vs. Happiness

English > Comparison
Literature > American

An analysis of the theme of wealth versus happiness in "Death of a Salesman" by Arthur Miller and "The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald.

978 words () | 2 sources | MLA | 2005 United States

Paper Summary:

The acquisition of material goods has often been equated with happiness and the American dream with the motivation for accomplishing ones goals. This paper discusses how, when tainted with wealth, the dream becomes a nightmare and how in the case of Willy Loman, in "Death of a Salesman" and Jay Gatsby, in "The Great Gatsby", it ends in death. It looks at how the authors, Arthur Miller and F. Scott Fitzgerald, through their characters, prove that money is not the key to happiness.

From the Paper:

"For Willy Loman in Death of a Salesman, the American Dream fails in the capitalist society of 1949, "In the greatest country of the world a young man with such attractiveness, gets lost" (16). Loman was influenced by society and could not overcome the pressures of selling and making money. Willy's dreams of success are rooted in the concept of the "American Dream", which is this is a land of unlimited opportunity in which anyone can become rich. This concept of success is personified by two characters in the play: David Singleman and Ben Loman. Willy heard of a salesman, Dave Singleman, who could make his living out of a hotel room."