What Is The Relationship Between Death Of A Salesman And The American Dream

The American Dream is unsurprisingly one of the most prevalent themes throughout American literature. From Huckleberry Finn (Twain) to Death of a Salesman (Miller), the idea is prevalent in most of the American classics. In Huckleberry Finn, the dream represents the ability to be free on the river away from the rules and racism of society, while in Death of a Salesman it represents a workingman's failure to achieve his goals. Both have opposing narratives regarding the dream, based upon the times in which they were written. This is a common occurrence in American literature as the dream evolves as time goes on and society changes. The American Dream of the early immigrants and settlers would have been one of freedom and space (Carpenter 5),
As William Carlos Williams wrote in The American Grain "The problem of the New World was, as every new comer soon found out, an awkward one, on all sides the same: how to replace from the wild land, that which, at home they had scarcely known the Old World meant to them". This is a common theme in pioneer era literature. About how new settlers were going to mould this new world in their image due to it being “unspoiled, primitive, youthful” (Kroes 38) upon their arrival. This relationship between the old worlds and the new, play important roles in both Rip Van Winkle (Irving) and O Pioneers! (Cathers). In Rip Van Winkle, there is a heavy German folklore influence from the author Irving who himself had travelled to Europe. This is manifested in Rips Dutch community "having been founded by some of the Dutch colonists" (5) and with that the traditions and legacy of the old country "reminded Rip of the figures in an old Flemish painting"
The fact he has slept through the revolution is of little concern to him "the changes of states and empires made but little impression on him; but there was one species of despotism under which he had long groaned, and that was—petticoat government; happily, that was at an end; he had got his neck out of the yoke of matrimony, and could go in and out whenever he pleased, without dreading the tyranny of Dame Van Winkle" (61). This should make him the anti-thesis of the American Dream, as he is much more connected to his European heritage than the new Union and shows little enthusiasm to chase anything. But ultimately, his dream is the same dream but in a different form to the founding fathers. Rip wanted free of his wife and the stresses of life, possible allegories for Europe, the British and the Revolutionary War maybe, so he could be free to do as he pleased and simply live his life. That is the core of what many believe the American Dream to be. Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness after all (Jefferson and Fink). This is the American dream, inspired by the old World, in the new World, on a personal scale. His freedom comes not from the revolution, but from the freedom he has to be himself at home "Having nothing to do at home, and being arrived at that happy age when a man can do nothing with impunity" (Irving