Miller and Mamet's Failure of the American Dream.
Arthur Miller and David Mamet are playwrights who are familiar with the struggle to achieve the American Dream. In "Death of a Salesman", Arthur Miller used the salesman Willy Loman as a symbol for the failure of the American dream. David Mamet's "Glengarry Glen Ross" is like a modern version of "Death of a Salesman." In Mamet's play, Shelley Levene is very much like Willy Loman, and he is used as a symbol for tragic failure. "Death of a Salesman" and "Glengarry Glen Ross" are plays that brilliantly illustrate the struggle and the failure of the American dream.
Willy Loman was the browbeaten salesman in Miller's play who wanted everything in his life to be a success, but he only ended up failing miserably. Willy was partially the victim of circumstance. He could not avoid getting tired and old. It takes energy to get out on the road and travel for miles and miles to make a sale. Willy was well into his sixties, and he was simply worn out. Age and physical ability were two things that hampered Willy's ability to achieve his dream. Willy was extremely enthusiastic when it came to achieving his dream of becoming rich quick, and he was always making references to how well-liked he was and what a good salesman he used to be. However, his unrelenting refusal to face the truth propelled him at the last of the play to commit suicide. Suicide was his last ditch effort to give his beloved son Biff a chance in the world. However, his suicide only left his wife and sons mournfully alone, and it also assured Biff that his father had all the wrong dreams. .
Shelley Levene was the tragic hero in Mamet's play. In the first of the play, Levene is on the edge of complete failure. Levene fears failure and tries everything to prevent it, but he has many things working against him. Much like Willy Loman, Levene is also partially the victim of circumstance. He has gotten older, and the company he works for does not seem to have any use for him anymore.
