The play "Death of a Salesman-, written by Arthur Miller in 1949 deals with the pressure of becoming a well - liked, wealthy and successful personality by trying to follow the ideas of the "American Dream-. The protagonist of the story is the 60ish Willy Loman being at the rough end of an undistinguished career as a salesman, and the pressures of his life are causing him to lose contact with reality. Living partly in the present (1949) and partly in the past (1928), Willy clings to fantasies of success for both himself and his sons, womanizing underachiever Happy and prodigal runaway Biff and ...

• Word Count: 590
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

Arthur Miller's, Death of a Salesman, is a tragic example of a battle, fought by the protagonist Willy Loman, between reality and illusions perpetuated by his pursuit of the American Dream, success. Death of a Salesman was written in 1949 at the dawn of a new era spawned by the ending of World War II in 1945. ... The failing salesman's misguided beliefs tragically continued to imprison him. ... Willy Loman tragically drives to his death in pursuit of the reward, a twenty thousand dollar life insurance policy, he hoped would allow Biff to become the success he never was in life...

• Word Count: 939
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

Eugene Ionesco and Arthur Miller present readers with examples of dreamers in "Rhinoceros" and "Death of a Salesman." Ionesco comments on the absurdity of logic and allows readers to experience Berenger's dream world. ... Miller allows Loman to exist in a disturbed version of the American Dream. ... Biff, Willy's son who was once an attractive football star who failed math his senior year and gave up on his aspirations, was well liked but did not succeed in society. ... Biff could not live up to his father's dreams and deemed himself a failure. ...

• Word Count: 621
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: Undergraduate