American Dream in "Death of a Salesman"

Essay by ascraeusUniversity, Bachelor'sA, June 2007

download word file, 22 pages 4.6

AbstractAmerican Dream is a term used by modern Americans to signify success in life as a result of hard work. There are lots of reasons why people need such a term and try to apply it in their life; the Industrial Revolution is one of the great forces that developed the American Dream. In modern times, the American Dream is seen as a possible accomplishment, as all children can go to school and get an education; it is freedom, personal rights and economic growth. However, people have difficulty in applying this term in real life. The United States has been criticized for failing to live up to the ideals that American Dream requires. However with each character in Death of a Salesman, Arthur Miller claims that blind faith in American Dream causes it to lose its real ideals. And Arthur Miller is the one who doesn't criticize the American Dream as an ideology but claims that different perceptions of the Dream and blind faith in these perceptions destroy the Dream and the captured people… So, Miller's different point of view to this issue will be issued in this project and it will be proved by the use of players' statement in the play.

American Dream in Death of a SalesmanFreedom, identity, hopes…American Dream, a term coined by James Truslow Adams in his book "The Epics of America", comes out from the departure in government economics from the principles of Old World. Especially, The Industrial Revolution such as the development of big business and the increase in oil production develop the American Dream and increase the American standard of living. Of course, this standard of living is a result of success of hard work and it is for those who hope for an escape from their old life. That's why the...