It is convincing that characters in the play, Death of a Salesman , struggle for the pursuit of success and the American Dream, which also comes out as the central themes. The kind of dramatic irony and dialogue that’s engaged in the play help a reader to understand the two themes better.
Arthur Miller uses different characters in the play to demonstrate the differences in perspectives that exist, regarding success and the American Dream. To Willy, the American Dream is the aptitude to become wealthy by sheer charisma (Miller, 1994). He believes that innovation and hard work cannot make an individual successful as compared to personality. For instance, when Willy’s son, Biff, tells him of having made fun of the lisp of his Math teacher, he gets more concerned with the reaction of the classmates of Biff. Making use of dialogue, the author captures this exchange as such,
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BIFF: I crossed my eyes and talked with a lisp.
WILLY: (Laughing.) You did? The kids like it?
BIFF: They nearly died laughing!
Biff Loman’s American Dream is different from that of his father. He is pulled by two forms of dreams that he finds difficult to resolve (Bradford, 2017). One dream is about the good outdoors, nature, and working physically while the other dream is capitalism, sales, and businesses of his father. He elaborates to his brother the angst and appeal of working in a ranch. The audience realizes at the end of the play through Biff that Willy became successful by working with his hands: a perspective that Willy did not consider. It is ironical that Willy became successful by making a ceiling, and constructing a garage by himself without noticing.
To conclude with, success and the American Dream form the core themes of the play that set the stage for the readers’ understanding of the play, The Death of a Salesman, by Arthur Miller. The two themes are well explained through the use of dramatic irony and dialogue.
References
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Miller, A. (1994). Death of a salesman . Oxford: Heinemann.
The play illustrates various chronological instances which occur in a period of less than two days. The play makes readers to understand Willy Loman, the formative influences, and the emotional burdens which the character carries with him.
Bradford, W. (2017). The American Drean in “Death of a Salesman.” Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/the-american-dream-in-death-of-a-salesman-2713536
The article portrays the play as a social commentary on particular values, morals and beliefs that were common in America in the ancient times. The article helps a reader to understand best the theme of success and the American Dream.
