Willy's dreams are that his boys will become successful in the world of business, the name of Loman will be respected and "well liked by many people", and he or his sons will become wealthy and that he will be a successful salesman. Willy in his dreams of his father and his brother Ben, admires the way people become pioneers. We have to remember that Ben is only seen in Willy's mind, everything that Ben does or says is seen through the eyes of Willy. Willy wants to become successful easily like his brother Ben did. Willy dreams of owning his own business, "Someday I'll have my own business, and I'll never have to leave home anymore." Ben strayed into Africa on his way to Alaska, "I walked into the jungle when I was seventeen- I walked out when I was twenty one and by god I was rich!" Ben is Willy's idea of success. He and Willy agree on the American-boy ideal "keen on games, rugged, well liked, all around.".
Biff Loman, in many ways is similar to his father; he is the product of his fathers' dreams and admiration. Willy's dreams have a negative impact on Biff and Happy throughout their lives. At the beginning of the play, Biff shares many of the same ideas as Willy. He values being well liked and sees little point in being honest. In fact, he is another failure of the American dream; he thinks he is well liked when in reality he is not, the watchman on the building site, Bill Oliver and the parents of the neighborhood girls. Biff steals many things throughout his life. When Biff was young, his father wanted, more then anything for him to be a big football star, but because of Willy's actions, he failed to realize the dream. Biff never studied at school and failed to achieve the required grade for entrance to university. Bernard told Biff that he had to study if he wanted to get into university but Willy said that being "well liked" would get him in and " With scholarships to three universities they're gonna flunk him?" When Biff and Happy were at high school Willy frequently traveled to Boston, Willy was unfaithful to Linda with another woman at this time.