Death of a Salesman

Willy Loman is a failure of a salesman that survives every day riding the coat tails of the American Dream. While reading this play, I was overwhelmed with compassion for this tragic hero. Main stream opinions define Willie’s passionate effort at achieving wealth and status a futile attempt at fast money and accelerated promotions, I believe he was blessed and cursed with the gift of passion. Willie had passion; the problem was his dreams. "He had the wrong dreams. All, All wrong." P.138 Although Willy’s character helped redefine the concept of the tragic hero, and we can find a little part of ourselves in all of the play’s characters, the theme is the driving force behind this play.

The American Dream. Every one knows it, everyone’s had it, and everyone has been a victim of it at one point or another. It is a myth that requires every individual to carve out his place in society, and create a legacy that will transcend time. These ideas originate from the perception of America as the land of opportunity, but they perpetuate a rigid standard that put pressure on the individual that does not fit into the box. Willy Loman refuses to believe that himself and his family do not fit into "the box". His misguided attempts to make his family and their dreams conform to society’s standards of prosperity send him into a mental frenzy. Not only does he manage to drive himself mad; he forcefully imposes his beliefs on his children. Happy, like so many of us, is determined to finish the business of his father. He has purchased The American Dream, by conforming to the ideals set forth by Willy. Happy promises to promote, get married, and obtain wealth. Although these things would not satisfy him, he feels obligated to fulfill his father’s legacy. The concept of marriage as an ideal institution that will produce children and stability lives at the center of The American Dream. Often times, individuals live half their lives in a marriage that was constructed as a social mask, only to discover that marriage is not always conducive to well being.

Biff represents the "others". The ones of us that find our dreams within ourselves. The American Dream evades us because we choose not to fit into the box. Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are not always the equivalent of wealth, power, and assets. Many people spend their time living out the dreams of their parents, and carefully emulating society’s standards, so they never discover the truth about themselves. Willy Loman died believing the lies of society, but Biff is on the verge of discovering the truth about himself.

As an actor, this is the dilemma that I face every day. The theatre makes me happy, it’s what I love to do. How do I achieve the American Dream as an actor? I own land, I am married, and I will have kids, but these responsibilities work against the lifestyle I would lead as an artist. An actor is paid per gig, does not have guaranteed income, and when we do work the salary is generally low. Much like Willy Loman, I am a salesman of sorts. I also have a real job. I work long miserable hours for a big corporation so that I may pay my house note, car note, and miscellaneous bills. I too, dream of the day that I will own my own destiny. At the end of the play, Linda tells Willy that they were finally free. My question? Will I have the audacity to be free while I am alive?

Works Cited

Miller, Arthur. Death of a Salesman. New York: Penguin Group, 1976.