In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel The Great Gatsby the pursuit of the American dream is shown through the lives of the protagonists. The story is set during the 1920’s, a period when the old values that gave substance to the American dre

The endless quest for the fulfillment of the American Dream, can be seen in the Arthur Miller’s play “Death of A Salesman”. Miller portrays the modern American dream of the 1950’s, unlike the historic, which promises freedom and opportunity, the more modern American dream is seen as financial success through luck, greatness, and happiness derived from the other two. The play centers around the struggle for the American dream of Willy Loman who is a simple salesman whose career has diminished and financially struggling. He dreams of himself and his family of obtaining the American dream. He is obsessed with the idea of “easy success”, instilled by his brother Ben when he becomes wealthy after finding a diamond mine in Africa. The quote “when I was seventeen I walked into the jungle, and when I was twenty-one I walked out. And by God I was rich.” (Miller 33) by Ben has always remained with Willy driving him to achieve the same “greatness” as Ben did. Willy lives by the philosophy that “the man who makes an appearance in the business world, the man who creates personal interest, is the man who gets ahead. Be liked and you will never want.” Willy tries to become a business success by using this philosophy. He attempts to be “well-liked” to his customers and sell himself rather then his products. Willy tries to be “well-liked” to business executives also. First he establishes an affair with The Woman who is a secretary for a buyer, he buys her stockings and charms her. By her liking him, he is able to establish business connections because the Woman will put him through to the buyers next time she sees him. Then he attempts to be “well liked” by his boss by being subservient to him and acting as his office boy, complementing him, and reminding him of past debts all in order to receive a non-traveling job and better pay. Unfortunately with all of his attempts of being “well liked” in his profession, Willy ultimately achieves failure because he fails to see that “the only thing you (Willy) got in this world is what you can sell. And the funny thing is that you’re a salesman, and you don’t see that.” (Miller 75). As a result he loses his earnings and job. Willy finally realizes that his efforts were unsuccessful, he expresses, “After all the highways, and the trains, and the appointments, and the years, you end up worth more dead than alive.” (Miller 76). He decides to invest his dreams into his son Biff who has failed at every job or opportunity because his lack of ambition and illegal behavior. But after Biff has a revelation that he has always been a failure, he blames his father’s dreams that he sold him on. Biff tells Willy to just forget him, which for Willy would mean the loss of his dreams. So in a last desperate act Willy kills himself so his twenty thousand dollar life insurance policy will go to Biff, for him to become successful with.

Moreover, in Tennessee Williams’ play “The Glass menagerie”, he exemplifies the plight of pursuing the American dream through the character of Amanda Wingfield. "The Glass Menagerie" is a memory play set in the 1940's during World War II but is told in retrospect to the late 1930's. The American dream during this time was very basic, probably due to war, it was concerned with the health and happiness of your family. The main character Amanda Wingfield is a overbearing mother who has an imaginative son Tom and a slightly crippled, overly timid daughter Laura. She is a lonely mother whose refuge are her memories. Amanda had been a southern belle in her day. She still reminisces about her youth when she had several suitors. Emphasizing her glory days “One Sunday afternoon in Blue Mountain-your mother received-seventeen! -Gentlemen callers!”(Williams 8). Amanda withdraws from reality into fantasy. Amanda had virtues, money, and grace, until she got married to a husband who left her and his two children. Amanda escapes her rea

Some topics in this essay:
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