Death of a Salesman, the 1949 play by Arthur Miller, develops the ideas of conformity, popularity and materialism through repeating and contrasting elements. The protagonist Willy Loman has been constructed, along with contrasting characters, to convey to the audience that conformity is not the answer to finding true happiness. Miller also reminds the audience that popularity will not lead Willy to a successful business life through juxtaposition to Charley. Having a materialistic life distances Willy from the devotion to his family that really matters to them. The underlying theme of abandonment pushes Willy into his life and gives a false sense of hope; following the used and exhausted trail of the American Dream. The American Dream relates heavily to the morals Willy has learned to live by; conformity, popularity and materialism. Later, through the use of dramatic irony, Miller describes how Willy abandoned his own family and the people around him throughout his life story. Family and friends are important to the survival of Willy's happiness but he gets lost in his values that persuade him to failure. .
The ethos of America, "The American Dream", is the basis of Miller's concepts for Willy. Conformity becomes a strong characteristic within Willy's personality as the audience watches him evolve. Willy is lead astray trying to copy and follow others to find success in life and in business, that he forgets the importance of individuality. Willy is always trying to conform to the consumerism ideals of the American Dream, an example of this is an argument Willy has with Linda about their refrigerator, and "I told you we should've bought a well-advertised machine. Charley bought a general electric and it's 20 years old and it's still good, that son-of-a-bitch." (p. 56). Willy, juxtaposed to Charley, wonders why he couldn't be more like Charley with a more successful business and family.
