The American Dream in ‘Death of a Salesman’
What is the American Dream?

The main idea is that through a combination of hard work, courage
and determination, prosperity can be achieved.

In the later half of the 19th century, the idea that one could be
successful with very little effort was prominent - as long as you could
invest in land. The A.D was the catalyst that sparked the gold rush of
the mid to late 1800s and the vast influx of immigrants seeking fortune.

As the 20th century approached, the Dream was focused on industry
and capitalism. Success in industry suggested that a degree of talent
and a willingness to work hard was all that was needed.

However, the American Dream does not take account of the fact that
the family one is born into, as well as traits such as natural intelligence,
have a bearing on potential success in life.

In Death of a Salesman, Miller is immensely critical of the American
Dream and portrays it as superficial and meaningless.
The American Dream = the belief that one can be successful through
honest, hard work.
Death of a Salesman and the American Dream:
Willy is a sensitive character and notices that his neighbourhood has been
changed for the worse by an encroaching industrial society.
He yearns for a more rural existence and condemns the claustrophobic
atmosphere created by the aggressive buildings that surround him. This
feeling is echoed by his son, Biff. Willy misses the trees and the flowers of his
past whilst Biff encourages Happy to seek a new life in the countryside with
him.
These social attitudes displayed by Willy were very common at the time of
writing.
Harking back to the early history of America, where pioneers would conquer
the wilderness and become wealthy in the process, the American Dream
offers riches even to those who start with nothing. Ben represents this to
Willy: ‘There was a man who started with the clothes on his back and ended
up with diamond mines’
The characteristics for success were thought to be masculinity,
competitiveness and popularity – becoming rich was simply a matter of using
your individual qualities. This is perhaps why Willy struggles to comprehend
Biff’s failure to achieve the American Dream.
An important myth that prompted people to work hard was that America
was the land of opportunity. Therefore, a failure to achieve the American
Dream surely indicates a failure of personality.
Arthur Miller notes in his autobiography:
‘It has often been said that what kept the United States from revolution in the depths
of the Great Depression was the readiness of Americans to blame themselves rather
than the system for their downfall’
This clearly resonates with the attitudes of both Willy and Biff who both
blame themselves for their failures.
The early pioneer spirit survives in the form of a love for the great outdoors.
This is a key aspect of the personalities of Willy and Biff. Yet this is not
enough for Willy. He still craves competitiveness, and essential element of the
masculine attitude that underlies capitalism.
It is necessary to beat the opposition at any cost if you are to be successful.
This is clearly shown by Happy in the early stages of the play even though it
shows him as selfish and possibly inhuman. Happy has to compete sexually
because he cannot compete on a work basis with the executives.
The characters of Miller’s play clearly show the faults of the ideal. It is the
ceaseless yet fruitless quest for the American Dream that lends itself so
readily to the tragedy of Willy Lowman.
Other definitions:
Capitalism:
An economic system in which trade and industry are controlled by private
owners for profit. (Miller wanted to illustrate dangers of a capitalism, arguing
that it had the potential to promote greed and create a savage, cruel society.)