Willy's American Dream

A Dream or No Dream In Arthur Miller’s play, Death of a Salesman he tells the story of a father, Willy, and his two sons, Biff and Happy. He conveys the story of their different American Dreams, although Willy and Biff have contradicting dreams for Biff. The play has many quotes that show their struggle of fighting for their American dreams to come true. Willy is less Willing than Biff to understand that his dream may not come true. This play, unlike the other books we have read, is about people who have American Dreams that do not happen for them, or the dreams people have for others that do not happen as well.
The quote, ¨I am not a leader of men, Willy, and neither are you.¨ (Miller, 105) is saying that Biff and his father and himself are not the men who reach the American dream with success; they are instead average men who work hard but in the end get little recognition. Throughout the play they work to achieve goals but sometimes do not have the success they would like. Willy tries to be a leader and a role model, like the men who do reach the American dream, but he never is able to really achieve this goal.
There are numerous examples throughout this play, another is ¨I’m just what I am, that’s all.” (Miller, 106). Biff is saying this to say that he is not like the diamond in the rough, he is not the one in a million, he is just what
“The grass don't grow any more, you can't raise a carrot in the back yard. “ (Miller, 6). The grass and carrots represent Willy and Biff’s American Dream. At another point in the book Willy says “I've got to get some seeds, right away. Nothing's planted. I don't have a thing in the ground.” (Miller, 96). This is saying that Willy is planting his dream because he has nothing that has been planted for him, his dream never grew to what he wanted it to