My name is Jad Maroun and I am a great enthusiast of your work. I have read the play Death of a Salesman .
a number of times now, and never fail to find more new and meaningful motifs. .
I believe the play is based on "The American Dream", and that you use many characters to contrast the difference between success and failure within the system. "The American Dream" as I understand it is, the idea that life in America assures certain things and guarantees a certain way of life. According to this ideal, the United States is the land of freedom and opportunity, guaranteeing stability and comfort in the home, success and the ability to overcome difficulties. But I believe the problem for people like Willy Loman is that "The American Dream" had died. It represented an idealistic way of life that no longer existed, and society was cruel and unforgiving to those who still believed in it. For millions of people living outside of the United States, it had served as an important example of political and economic freedom-a symbol to the rest of the world what freedom and success was all about. But from what I have studied over the last semester, while serving as a beacon to humanity, the United States struggled to live up to its own high ideals. Many common American people have sought answers to who they are and the degree to which their nation still represents the opportunities for freedom and success that it once did.
Well, if you are an American and if you have a family, a house and a car, a decent job with a good salary and if you consider yourself to be surrounded by people who respect you for who you are, you can be said to have reached the American Dream. .
There are several connections to the concept of the American Dream in Death of a Salesman. One can be found on page 32 when the principal charachter Willy Loman expresses his jealousy towards the successes of his brother Ben. Ben knew what he wanted, Willy says.
