Death of a Salesman Analysis In the play Death of a Salesman, Arthur Miller crucifies the old-fashioned American Dream. Miller, while striking down the old idea that being well liked equates to being successful, shows that the American Dream of yesteryear can no longer be achieved. This idea is shown in both the last section of Act 2 and in the Requiem. Arthur Miller illustrates the condemnation of the old American Dream through Biff’s epiphany, Happy’s delusional success, and Willy’s funeral. While Biff flees Oliver’s office, he comes to a sudden realization that he’s been lying to himself his entire life and that Willy’s outdated version of the American Dream is unachievable for Biff and has caused him to fail. To reiterate this, Miller uses the “sky” (Miller, 1520) as a symbol for Biff’s possibilities. This is ironic, because Biff is running through “the middle of the [office building] and [he saw] the sky” without there being any windows mentioned. The “sky” (1520) that Biff sees isn’t the real sky, but the open-ness and the freedom that it grants. The sky also represents Biff’s chance to escape the web of lies that he has entangled himself in since high school, as its vastness is open and clear. The next way that Biff’s realization shows that the old American Dream has been demolished is that he denounces himself and his father of faking their way through life. As Biff and Willy argue, Biff admits that “[he is] not a leader of men” (1520) and that Willy is not either. While Willy denies this, Biff insists that “[he’s] not bringing home any prizes anymore” (1520) and that Willy needs “to stop waiting for [him] to bring them home” (1520). Biff grasps that he cannot win the game of life in the business world, and that his father must let the dream of his son rising to the top in Corporate America die. Biff knows that the reason he “never got anywhere [was] because [Willy] blew [him] so full of hot air that [he] could never stand taking orders from anybody” (1520), even though Willy is too blinded by pride to see it. Finally, Biff becomes aware of who he is and what he should be doing. After Biff’s failure to speak to Bill Oliver, he realizes that he is “nothing” (1521) in the business world, and knows that “all [he] really wants is out there” (1520), referring to the outdoors. After all that Biff has run from in his life, he realizes that his father needs to “take that phony dream and burn it” (1521) before thing get any worse. Biff breaks down, showing how much Willy’s hopes for him to have actually destroyed everything he cared about. Biff’s epiphany and argument with Willy both illustrate how Biff has realized that Willy’s version of the American Dream cannot work for him. Arthur Miller uses his character Happy to show that the old-fashioned version of the American Dream can no longer function in modern society by alluding to the idea that Happy will end up just like Willy. The first way that Miller demonstrates this fact is through Happy’s declaration that “[he] will stay right in … the city and [he’s] gonna beat” (1524) the system that failed Willy. Arthur Miller reiterated all throughout the play that Willy wasn’t meant to be a salesman. The readers have already figured out what a hopeless situation Willy’s profession put him in, and it can be inferred that Happy is now destined to share the same fate. Next, Arthur Miller uses irony in Happy’s name to show he will end up dissatisfied with life. Throughout all of Happy’s childhood, he was always living in Biff’s shadow. Happy’s name is ironic because he has done nothing in his life to make him a happy person. The relationships he has with women are merely hook-ups, he finds false prestige in his being “assistant to the assistant” (1519) job, and he does not allow himself to see his father’s failure. Miller’s use of irony only further alludes to Happy’s downfall. The final element that points out how the old American Dream has died and will not work for Happy is through Miller’s use of the words “hopeless glance” (1524). After Happy declares his mission to win Willy’s dream back, Biff gives Happy a “hopeless glance” (1524), showing how Biff must give up on his brother, and quickly. The word “glance” (1524) is swift and furtive, and Biff is determining to forget his brother. Had the word been “look”, it would have implied that Biff was taking notice of his brother’s actions, while “glance” implies that he doesn’t care. “Hopeless” only further expresses how readers should feel about Happy, now that he has chosen the destiny that failed his father. Miller’s use of irony, diction, and dialogue shows how Happy will end up just like his father because their version of the American Dream has expired. Willy’s funeral at the end of the play signifies more than just the death of Willy, but the death of the old American Dream itself. The first notion that proves this idea was Linda’s question of “why didn’t anybody come” (1523) to Willy’s funeral. Miller parallels Willy’s funeral with the death of the old-fashioned American Dream. Just as no one attends Willy’s funeral, no one follows the ways and ideas of the outdated American Dream anymore because it no longer is important or relevant to society. Next, Arthur Miller demonstrates how the era of the old American Dream is ending just as the gate to the cemetery where Willy is buried in “will be closing soon” (1523). Miller creates an image of the doors of opportunity that were once wide open are now closing and will become a thing of the past. People only ever visit cemeteries in remembrance, not to bring something to life or to create anything new. Once again, Arthur Miller parallels Willy Loman’s funeral with the death and the end of the old American Dream. The final idea that illustrates the death of the American Dream is Arthur Miller’s use of the word “nice” (1523). Generally, “nice” (1523) has a positive connotation, but here, the word feels insincere. “Nice” is synonymous with words like “pleasant” or “enjoyable” and a funeral is neither of these things. When used in this instance, “nice” (1524) becomes a fallacy, showing how the old American Dream has become more of an American Myth. Miller’s use of word choice, imagery, and parallelism all contribute to the symbolism of Willy’s funeral to the death of the old American Dream. The central theme of Arthur Miller’s play Death of a Salesman is that the old American Dream is dead. The outdated idea that someone can come from nothing and be successful in the business world has become a fairy tale. Miller illustrates the death of the outdated American Dream through Biff’s epiphany, Happy’s diluted idea that he can win the game that Willy started, and by comparing Willy’s funeral to the end of the American Dream that the Lomans grew up believing in.
Work Cited
Miller, Arthur. “Death of a Salesman.” Perrine’s Literature: Structure, Sound, and Sense. Ed. Aron Keesbury. Boston: Thomson Higher Education, 2002. 1445-1525. Print.