The Role Of Dreams In Death Of A Salesman
To be able to understand the importance of the role of dreams in the play, we should first look into Arthur Miller’s intentions in writing it. From reading the play we can see that it is an attack on capitalism and the American way of life. The capitalist system undoubtedly reaps its rewards, but the play shows its downfalls through Willy Loman and his family. Willy has run his course in the business world and been as much use to the system as he can be; despite his loyalties he is then cast aside by the ruthlessness of a system that is now alien to him. Willy is a failed businessman, and lifts a veil of deceit over this fact to try and hide it from himself as well as those around him.Arthur Miller himself was a victim of the capitalist way of life, as in 1956 he was found guilty of communism and trying to undermine the American way of life. The play, however, is not about capitalism or communism as such but more about a tragic character, whose lack of self-knowledge and sudden realisation that time has taken away his dreams and success, leads to his inevitable downfall. There are three dreams or ideals at work within the play. The first is the ‘American Dream’. This dream was and is still a popular one in America; it is a . . .
And he lived there about two months and sold it, and now he’s building another one. He eventually saw fit to take comfort in another woman on the road, which is where his spiralling downfall began. There is also a manner in which he pursues the Dream. The problem with Willy's ideals, which ultimately kills him, is that he has lost sight of achieving the true goal of the American Dream, happiness and freedom, and the dream took control of him. Biff desires to occupy himself in the outdoors, and to set up a business like that, whether it is carpentry, farming, or indeed American football. ” He lost his false ideals and finally found himself amongst the clutter of deceit in his life, he the only Loman who managed develop a true identity and realise the implications of his father’s death. Willy Loman worked, made money at a considerably fine occupation, had two bright and talented children, and was espoused to a kind woman. Through the characters actions, or lack of actions, the stage direction and the subscript, we can see the importance of the role of dreams in ‘Death of a Salesman’. 23) It is rather ironic that the American dream that Willy strives for everyday is the very same dream Happy pushes away. The ethic demands material accumulation and work as signs of favour in the eyes of God.
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