The American Dream

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The American Dream: Contradictions

The idea of the American Dream is central to the play. Much of Willy's insecurity comes from his idealisation of this concept and his contradictory ways he understands it.

The dream

As Miller states in his long opening stage direction describing the Loman household, “An air of the dream clings to the place…”
Miller does not try to disguise that this “dream” is the Lomans’ version of the American Dream: the idea that success and happiness are available to all Americans willing to work hard and grasp the opportunities that become available to them.

Mythology

This dream is ingrained in the mythology of America.
Willy, despite his struggles in New England, does not question his belief that America is “the greatest country in the world” where success is open to all who seek it out.

Use of language

Indeed, as Willy tells Ben, “that’s the wonder, the wonder of this country”, the repetition of “wonder” helping to communicate the awe Willy still feels at the opportunities available in America.

Contradictions

Unfortunately, Willy creates his own version of the American Dream, basing it on ideals or values which are contradictory and work against each other.
Willy never settles in his own mind which is the more important: to show the ruthless, competitive spirit of Ben (“Never fight fair with a stranger, boy”) or rely on the charisma (“personal attractiveness”) displayed by characters such as Dave Singleman.

Ben

As Willy tries to convince Ben, “it’s not what you do, Ben. It’s who you know and the smile on your face!”
Ben, however, is unconvinced, believing that a man has to “fight” to succeed.

The Loman's Reality

Part of Willy’s tragedy is caused by the fact that he has based his version of the dream on people he has barely known.

Guiding examples

Willy was abandoned by his father at an early age, then later by his brother, Ben.
Dave Singleman is another character recreated from Willy’s memories.
Every one of these three guiding examples is an idealised, romanticised figure rather than a real person.

Myth

Willy judges himself, and his sons, against mythical figures - he chooses fantasy over reality.
This blurring of fantasy and reality is seen in the lies or myths that the Lomans tell each other in which they pretend that they are a success.

Delusions

Willy insists that he “averaged a hundred and seventy dollars a week in the year of 1928” but Howard simply does not believe him.
Happy boasts that he is an “assistant buyer” whereas he is only “one of two assistants to the assistant”.

Reality

Biff realises that he was never the budding success story his father held him up to be: “Dad, I don’t know who said it first, but I was never a salesman for Bill Oliver”.
As Biff sums up at the play’s climax, they have judged themselves against “a phony dream” and, as a family, have “never told the truth for ten minutes in this house!”

Critiquing the American Dream

Ultimately, Miller’s play critiques Willy’s corrupted version of the American Dream, rather than the Dream itself.

Critique

Miller himself admitted that he wanted to expose “the bullshit of capitalism” and his play offers a powerful critique of the American Dream in which, ultimately, success and self-worth are judged in shallow, material terms such as property, career, household luxuries etc. leading to the tragedy of Willy ultimately valuing his own life at the $20,000 to be collected from his life insurance policy.

The people not the dream

However, in 1958, Miller reminded readers and audiences that “The most decent man in ‘Death of a Salesman’ is a capitalist (Charley) whose aims are not different from Willy Loman’s. The great difference is that Charley is not a fanatic… Charley’s boy, Bernard, works hard, attends to his studies, and attends a worthwhile objective.”