Death of A Salesman Essay example

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American Dream Focuses on the Wrong Things
Death of a Salesman is about a businessman trying to get his family back on top. Willy has always tried to instill his philosophies of the American Dream, which he says is being rich, popular and well respected. Death of a Salesman says that the American dream makes people focus on the wrong things, makes them crazy, and eventually leads them to death. Willy always told his kids to get ahead in life; they need to be rich, popular, and well respected. His kids took his philosophy to heart, in high school by being well-liked, being fit, and being womanizers. Even though Happy and Biff were all this in high school, they are now doing very poorly. Since they were so focused on being the most liked kids in school, they let their grades drop so much, they could not receive a college education which would allow them to have a good life. For example, Biff, who was a high school football star could of played at a college, and get a good education. Unfortunately, listening to his father, ended up failing out of high school because he did not listen to his friend to study harder to pass his math class. Biff then went to Boston to talk to his father, about having his math teacher pass him so he can graduate and become a success in college. Biff discovers his father having an affair, and decides that his father’s American Dream is not for him. Biff from then on hates his father, and becomes an unsuccessful farmer, from not having a good influence in his life. Happy still lives at home, and borrows money from his parents. Happy always focused on losing weight, and being in shape to make his father proud. He also did not have what it took to be a big success in the corporal world, from focusing on the wrong things. Happy and Biff did not focus on getting good grades, and having a degree for a good job, and now considered failures in their father’s eyes. Willy also focused on the wrong things to instill in his sons. Willy focused too much on being a well-liked by all and trying become successful like his older brother, who adventured and got extremely rich from his travels. Willy ended up in raising kids who could not get ahead in life, and is constantly behind on his bills. Willy also constantly borrows money from his friend, Charlie, and refuses to take a job from Charlie that pays well. Willy’s American Dream of being rich popular, and well-liked made him and his family’s lives miserable and unfulfilling. Willy has been working so hard all his life to become as much of a success of his brother was, becomes crazy when he loses his pay, and no one even knows him anymore on his travels throughout New England. Willy constantly complains to his wife of how big of a success he was a few years ago and how no one even recognizes him today. Since Willy cannot sell any merchandise on his travels, his pay is cut and he does not have enough money to pay any of his finances. Willy soon hears voices in his head, and goes off in screaming tangents through the night. Willy talks to people he remembers from the past, and relives those past events he spent with them. He especially talks to his older brother. Willy is jealous of him, because he is everything he wanted to be. He constantly regrets not going with his brother on his travels and
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