Das Drama Death of a Salesman ist eng verknüpft mit dem American Dream. Hier findest du mehr.
American Dream
|
| » Find more about the American Dream here |
| |
Statement that the play Death of a Salesman is about the American Dream
|
| The play shows (.): |
| » even if people work hard they do not have to become successful (example of Willy Loman who isn't successful) |
| » some people cannot live the American Dream even if they have the abilities and qualities to prosper ( like Willy) |
| » that the American Dream is always omnipresent |
| » people have high hopes in the American Dream |
| » the other side of the American Dream |
| » trying to find success which is based on good outer appearance |
| » a classic case of trying to chase the inevitable |
| » the American Dream can destroy people with false hopes and beliefs |
| » the American Dream is criticized in the play because it shows how it is glorified by the people |
| |
| Essential characters in the play in context to the AD are: |
| Ben Loman > from rags to riches< |
| » beside Bernhard Ben is the only character who has achieved the American Dream and covered two of the most important aspects success and prosperity |
| » Ben is a role-model and becomes one of the most important people in Willy`s world |
| » the fact that Ben obviously became rich in an unfair way is striking |
| |
| Willy's hopes and dreams: |
| » he is obsessed of the AD and believes: "The greatest things can happen!" page 51, line 5 |
| » Willy's dreams are based on Ben ("You're just what I need, Ben" page 54 line 28 - page 55, line 1 / Ben: "William, when I walked into the jungle, I was seventeen. When I walked out I was twenty-one. And, by God, I was rich!" page 55, lines 12-14 |
| » Willy is always looking for appreciation and wants to be loved and remembered by the people and respected by the buyers and salesmen "when he died, hundreds of salesmen and buyers were at his funeral" page 86, line 26-27 |
| » he doesn't drift from his appointment of being a salesman |
| » he believes in respect, comradeship and gratitude in it |
| |
| Linda realistic overview: |
| » Linda knows that Willy was successful in the past, but in the present he lost touch with reality as well as she knows the reasons why Willy isn't successful any more (page 60, lines 2-9 and page 60, line 29 - page 61, line 22, page 91 lines 20-21) |
| |
| Bernhard |
| » Bernhard fulfilled the requirements of the American Dream, but in contrast to Ben he is a "good one" |
| » he never makes a show of his money |
| » he became successful and rich by hard work and has put up with privations and teasing in school |
| |
| Happy |
| » in Willy's family Hap is closer to the AD than everyone else |
| » it seems that Happy is addicted to competition and to being successful |
| |
| Biff |
| » he could achieve the AD, but not through hard work and he never became rich or successful. But he achieves freedom in the West and is a freelancer |
| Elaborated by Markus Buthe and Viktoria Besche |