American Literature

One of the rather consistent critical comments which has been made in reference to Arthur Millers Death of a Salesman is that the play is difficult to categorize.  Even the author mentioned in interviews that many of his themes and political points were implied rather than explicitly presented.  Indeed, As Miller himself has said,  Death of a Salesman is a slippery play to categorize because nobody in it stops to make a speech objectively stating the great issues which I believe it embodies. HYPERLINK httpwww.questiaschool.comPM.qstaod98104124(Bloom 47)  This statement by the author is illuminating.  It is illuminating because Miller admits that the play was intended to embody certain overarching issues and that the incorporation of these issues was not presented in terms of objective speeches by the plays characters.  The dominant theme must therefore depend on a more careful examination of the plays text.  This essay will argue that the plays dominant theme was the fallibility of the American Dream and that there are tragic consequences that attend the type of uncritical faith in such a romantic ideal that is too frequently unrealized in the lives of many Americans.  In support of this thesis, this essay will examine the allure of the American Dream as it was presented in Death of a Salesman, how Willy Loman took the existence of the American Dream for granted, and how this misplaced faith resulted in personal tragedy.
    As an initial matter, it is important to establish that Willy Loman believed in a certain notion of the American Dream and he further believed that he would be rewarded for his faith.  He essentially believed that a person would be financially rewarded if that person worked hard, was well-liked, and conformed very precisely to social expectations.  HYPERLINK httpwww.questiaschool.comPM.qstaod97369317(Otten 281)  Even though it would have been better for Willy and his family if he was transferred to New York, for example, Willy refuses to request a transfer, stating that Im the New England man. Im vital in New England. HYPERLINK httpwww.questiaschool.comPM.qstaod5935408(Bentley 636)  He is willing to travel for his company despite the fact that he is older and despite the fact that he has seniority.  His belief that he is vital to the New England sales team, which is patently false, reinforces the notion that Willy truly believes that his dedication and devotion to the company will be rewarded.  For Willy, in short, the allure of the mythical American Dream was a belief in financial security and secure employment.  This belief set him up for a tragic downfall.
This uncritical devotion to this notion of the American Dream, that anyone can be financially secure and successful if they conform and are well-liked, is further illustrated in the relationship between Willy and Biff.  Because Biff does not share his fathers convictions, for example, Willy criticizes his son.  At one point, talking to his wife and refusing to apologize to Biff for his criticism, Willy states with respect to Biff that Not finding yourself at the age of thirty-four is a disgrace and that Biff is a lazy bum HYPERLINK httpwww.questiaschool.comPM.qstaod5935409(Bentley 637)   The real reason for the criticism is the fact that Biff does not believe in the American Dream in the same way as his father.  Willy therefore views anyone, even a beloved son, who views the American Dream with suspicion with contempt.  It was Willy, in effect, who most purely represented the foolishness of dedicating his life so completely and so uncritically to an illusory set of wishes.  Other characters, such as Biff and Willys brother, did not subscribe to this notion of the American Dream.  It was this total dependence, based on the aforementioned set of beliefs, which would lead to Willys downfall.
Rather then protecting himself in other ways, such as developing new skills or joining members of his family in a private business venture, Willy allowed himself to be deluded until the very end of the play.  Biff tried to warn him about the dangerous consequences at one point, stating to Willy You were never anything but a hard-working drummer who landed in the ash can like all the rest of them and shortly thereafter that Will you take that phony dream and burn it before something happens HYPERLINK httpwww.questiaschool.comPM.qstaod5935495(Bentley 723)   Something did happen, which was Millers main intention.  Willy cannot deal with the fact that his entire life had been dedicated to an American Dream that turned out to be more of an illusion than a real social bargain.  He killed himself, unable to deal with his own shame, and his own sparsely attended funeral testified to his fundamental insignificance in America. 
In the final analysis, the dominant theme in Death of a Salesman relates to the folly of believing in an American Dream that promises financial security and stable employment.  This is not meant to suggest that goals cannot be achieved, for they certainly can be achieved, but that whether one attains these goals is in no way guaranteed.  More, as the play illustrates, the meaning of life is about more than working to the beat of a drummer or being well-liked.  All Americans, particularly in the current historical circumstances, would be well-advised to read this play with rapt attention.