Death Of A Salesman

2 Pages 375 Words

“Literature opens a dark window on the soul, revealing more about what is bad in human nature than what is good.” This simply means that english brings out negative rather than positive. This is true in many pieces of literature. In Death of a Salesman, by Arthur Miller this lens is supported in the American Dream.
Willy Loman is a traveling salesman who believes the American Dream, that anyone can become rich and well known through only hard work, perseverance, or personality. This attitude destroys Willy’s life through the course of the novel. Characterization and Theme are used by Arthur Miller to support this lens. Characterization is used effectively in revealing what type of character Willy Loman was. Willy was like a child, he had high ideals and high hopes, but had no ambition of pursuing them. Willy believed that a good life and financial security was going to be handed to him. However, Willy is eventually overcome by his dreams and illusions. He realizes that his life is a wreck and wasted. In the end Willy makes one final profit, selling his life. He does this because he believes it will help his son Biff out.
Theme is also used to support the lens. The falsity of the American Dream plays a big part in the novel. Willy is the main target of this theme. After years of working as a traveling salesman, Willy Loman has only an old car, an empty house, and a defeated spirit. Miller chose the job of salesman carefully for his American Dreamer. A salesman does not make his/her own product, has not mastered a particular skill or a body of knowledge, and works on the empty substance of dreams and promises. Additionally, a salesman must sell his/her personality as much as his/her product. Willy Loman falsely believes he needs nothing more than to be well liked to make it big.
The lens, “Literature opens a dark window on the soul, revealing more about what is bad in human nature than what is good” is supported in...