International Journal of Language & Literature

Death of a Salesman: Critique of the American Dream
Majid Salem Mgamis

Abstract
The paper examines Arthur Miller's masterpiece, "Death of A Salesman", highlighting the critique of the American dream as represented in the play. The paper does not dwell on common critiques of this theme in the play; rather it focuses on the excessive inclination towards individualism and greed as represented in the major character in the play; Willy Loman. Willy is taken by his dreams of success and happiness so much so that he ignores the social realities he lives in. He ignores all societal parameters pertaining to his life and focuses on his own version of the path to success. That is why he is rejected by his community, including family members. Through the character of Loman, Miller criticizes the way some Americans take their "dreams" so far, to the point that this dream turns out into a nightmare, even a tragedy, as reflected in the ending of the play.

Full Text: PDF      DOI: 10.15640/ijll.v5n1a9