The Myth of the American Dream Exposed in Death of a Salesman

Millers work on â€Å"Death of a Salesman† is an example piece of work furthering the social protest involving totalitarianism and the American Dream. Throughout the piece, Miller uses his voice of conscience and passion for the purpose of exposing the truth about the concepts. Using the perspective of Willy, a fictional, working class citizen, Miller picks apart the myth of the American Dream, exploring topics such as abandonment, betrayal, family dynamics, and using interesting symbolism along the way. With reckless abandon, Willy believes in the idea of the American Dream. In fact, thats a bit of an understatement. Willy is a dreamer, one that continues following that until its too late. In â€Å"13th Gen: Abort, Retry, Ignore,†¦show more content†¦When push comes to shove, Willy basically interprets what he wants in the wrong way, which eventually leads to his undoing. His ignorant faith in his own fabricated version of the American Dream is his downfall when he realizes that his life doesnt connect to his version of the American Dream. When abandonment is brought into question, it is clear to see that Willys life is a collection of issues involving just that. Every case of abandonment in his life leaves him in more anguish than ever before. When he was a child, his father leaves him and his brother, leaving them nothing to remember him by, financially, or otherwise. Eventually his brother moves to Alaska, injecting the heart of the issue that is his warped version of the American Dream. As a result, Willy is afraid of abandonment, which influences him to raise his family in a way that will fit the mold of model American citizens. However, his attempt to do so has resonance with the concept that he has lost touch with reality. He feels like a failure. Michael Cox and Richard Alm come together to debunk many mainstream beliefs and myths, showing that income is not a reliable measure how living standards should be. Poor people havent actually gotten poorer. Theyve just experienced an increase in expectations of living moreShow MoreRelated Myths of the American Dream Exposed in Arthur Millers Death of a Salesman828 Words   |  4 PagesMyths of the American Dream Exposed in Arthur Millers Death of a Salesman    Willy Loman, the lead character of Miller’s play, Death of a Salesman, believes in the myths of the capitalistic society(DiYanni 412). This essay will examine the impact of the capitalistic myths on Willy Lowman.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Willy believes in the myth that popularity and physical appearance are the keys that unlock the door to the â€Å"American Dream†. 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