Death of A salesman - The American Dream
...nything he did because he lived in his own world. A big indicator to one's success is their performance on the job. If a person is doing well, generally, they are successful. In the beginning of the play Willy Loman comments on how he was "vital to New England". This is a great example of how Willy's distortion compromised his obtainment of success. In all reality he was not "vital to New England", but a hindrance to his company. This is one reason why Willy Loman never obtained the American Dream. Another indicator to success is wealth. Although you cannot attribute happiness to wealth, you can buy things and live comfortably, which a lot of people believe is the main characteristic of the American dream. On Willy's last trip he made a commission of $70. But they owed money on a refrigerator fan belt and a carburetor for the car, which totaled $120. All these things were already breaking. Willy was constantly in a race with the junkyard, he was constantly frustrated that he couldn't use anything after they were all paid for. The last indicator to success is one’s reputation. Willy Loman is lacking in this department as well. Willy believes that he is well liked by a lot of people when in fact he is not. His entire life had been lived according to ideas about personal attractiveness and being well liked. He never questioned these values and never real...