We all have goals and dreams we want to accomplish. But the pursuit of a dream based on false illusions will ultimately lead to tragedy. This is true in Arthur Miller’s play‚ "Death of a Salesman"‚ and in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel‚ "The Great Gatsby". In both works‚ the main character is in pursuit of a dream for success that ultimately causes his demise. The American Dream is the idea that through hard work‚ courage‚ and determination one can achieve prosperity. Based on the Protestant work ethic
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Pressures In Human Society A common idea presented in literature is the issue of the freedom of the individual in the constant pressures of society. In the play “Death of a Salesman” by‚ Arthur Miller‚ Willy Loman is a good example of this‚ as well as a sixteen year old boy named Holden Caulfield in the novel “The Catcher in the Rye” by‚ J.D Salinger. They are both men living in a controlling society‚ and feel it is too hard to keep up with all of the
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from a hardship they face. In American works such as The Death of a Salesman‚ Adventures of Huckleberry Finn‚ The Scarlet letter‚ and The Body children‚ or childish characters‚ are introduced to bring light to their ever changing personalities and the forces and events that shaped them. In Arthur Miller’s The Death of a Salesman‚ Biff‚ the protagonists son‚ creates his personality off of his father’s own hopes and dreams for his sons. “Biff Loman is lost. In the greatest country in the world a young
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Willy Loman failed as a parent. In the play‚ Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller‚ this protagonist’s success is marred by his sons’ failures. In his attempts to sift through his past and realize the cause of such a letdown‚ Willy comes to the conclusion that his own actions are to blame. When his son‚ Biff‚ stumbles upon his secret woman‚ Biff is crushed and loses all respect. It is this incident that clears all doubts in the play and serves as an illuminating incident‚ throwing light on the once
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Death of a Salesman - Context (historical‚ social‚ political and cultural) Death of a Salesman is a play that consists of a HISTORICAL background which is key to understanding the play. It was written in 1949‚ just a few years after the World War ll was over‚ meaning the United States‚ where the play occurs‚ was going through many changes. For example‚ the war caused an increase in industrial production markets and non-farming business. For the poorest Americans‚ however‚ the economic situation
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Biff Loman is the thirty year old son of Willy Loman. He is liked by others and‚ due to his father’s teachings as a child‚ has an appealing personality. During his senior year‚ he was set to go to the University of Virginia on a football scholarship‚ but never made up his flunked math course after witnessing his father having an affair. After high school‚ Biff spent many years hopping from one low income job to another; he even spent some time in jail. Although Biff adored his dad as a child‚ he
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He tries to live vicariously through his grown sons‚ Happy and Biff‚ but realizes his life is empty and all of his work he’d done for his company is worthless. He believes that if a man is well liked and attractive then he will inevitably be successful and get all the material comforts offered in America. With early
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based on annual income figures. This means that 36.5 million people just in America either were unemployed or lived off food stamps or were unable to get a full time job. It is very difficult to live like this‚ as the nation saw illustrated in “Death of a Salesman” by Arthur Miller. Willy Loman‚ the protagonist‚ struggled with finances and couldn’t live a standard life. Without money‚ he couldn’t pay his household necessities like the refrigerator and this caused him great stress‚ which then led to bad
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defines a tragic hero as one who attempts to "gain his ’rightful ’ position in his society" and in doing so‚ struggles for his dignity. Arthur Miller ’s Death of a Salesman gives a perfect example of tragedy in the common man with the character Willy Loman‚ who‚ in his fear of being displaced‚ his struggle to fix his problems‚ and in his death as a plea for dignity‚ can be considered a modern tragic hero. "...From this total onslaught by an individual against the seemingly stable cosmos...from
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Linda figures “Well‚ it makes seventy dollars and some pennies. That’s very good.” ( Act 1‚ Scene 1) Willy felt that through being a salesman he would be able to have the American dream. However‚ Willy did not poses the qualities that a salesman needed. He would say how “if a man was impressive and well liked...”(Act 2‚ Scene 1) that he would be an excellent salesman. He got this idea when he was a younger man‚ after he meet a man named Dave Singleman. He tell’s his story
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