America has long been known as a land of opportunity. Everybody imagines success in the American business world. Dreams can become goals and eventually a reality with the right work ethic. But, what happens when a dream is unfulfilled? In Arthur Miller's moving and powerful play, Death of a Salesman, Miller uses many characters to contrast the difference between success and failure within the system. Willy is a salesman whose imagination is much larger than his sales ability, while Willy's wife Linda, stands by her husband even in his absence of reality. Biff and Happy are the two children who follow in their father's dream in life, while Ben is the only member of the Loman family achieving success. Charlie and his son Bernard, on the other hand, enjoy a more successful life compared to the Lomans.
             The author's main character, Willy Loman, is a traveling salesman that spends his whole lifetime trying to find success based on looks and popularity. Willy says, "it's not what you do, Ben. It's who you know and the smile on your face! The wonder of this country, that a man can end with diamonds here on the basis of being liked!" (1206). Obsessed with measuring success by popularity and material wealth, Willy emphasizes these principles upon his family. For Willy Loman, to be liked was the definitive standard of life success. As a result, Willy never realized that in fact he has lived his life in vain, never achieving nor succeeding.
             Nonetheless, Willy remained a shadow of his ambition. Charlie even states that, "You named him Howard, but you can't sell that. The only thing you got in this world is what you can sell. And the funny thing is that you're a salesman, and you don't know that" (1209). Thinking about being liked, and knowing people, Willy never realized that. Howard even voices that, "business is business, and everybody's gotta pull his own weight" (1205). Not understanding this,...