Death of A Salesman and the Fading American Dream

The basic thesis of the play is the fate of an ordinary man, a traveling salesman named Willy Loman, who when he reaches the age of 63 is discarded by his employer and worn down by his lifelong economic struggle to make a home for his family, and to pass his values on to his two sons so they can continue in his path. Unfortunately, Willy Loman's values are false and his dreams for his sons, especially his favorite Biff, almost destroys them.

On a naturalistic level, the play takes place over a 24-hour time period, although the expressionistic elements of the play add a variety of past experiences that broadens the time span to include all of Loman's life. The play opens with Willy's return home from an unsuccessful business trip. He can't bring himself to tell his wife Linda, or his sons, that his salary has been taken away and he must work on straight commission in a field that is economically shrinking. His two sons, Biff and Hap have also returned home, so the family is together. While Willy tortures himself trying to understand why Biff has not become a success, but rather a lost soul, the two boys are discussing their

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Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 833
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page)

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