Preview Of Willy's Obsession With Money example essay topic

In Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman, the main character, Willy Loman, destroys his life while chasing the American Dream. Willy's idea of the American Dream is achieving monetary success. Willy Loman's ambition to achieve monetary success destroys his life. This goal of money leads to the demise of his relationship with his family and eventually his life. It is clear that Willy Loman raised his son, Biff, to do whatever it takes to gain monetary success.

When Biff first returns home in the play, Willy's first question is how much money he is making. This question is just a preview of Willy's obsession with money. When Willy's brother, Ben, comes to visit, Willy's lesson of doing anything to get rich is evident. Ben says to the boys, "Why, boys, when I was seventeen I walked into the jungle, and when I was twenty-one I walked out.

And by God I was rich". . The jungle that Ben is referring to is the African jungle. Ben became rich because he went into Africa and stole diamonds from the country's mines. The significance is Willy introduces Ben as "a great man".

This acceptance of Ben's actions shows Willy's message to his sons to get rich any way possible. Also, because of his obsession with money, he leads his children into lives that he wants for them and not necessarily what they want. This ambition for monetary success is Willy's tragic flaw and through his message he passes his flaw onto his children. Willy's fixation on money eventually costs Willy his life. When Willy is fired from his job, he is unable to provide for his family and has to take loans from his neighbor, Charley. Charley offers Willy a job, but Willy refuses to be less than his friend by working for him and says, "I -- I just can't work for you, Charley".

. While out of a job Willy slips deeper into insanity. This is shown through his frequent hallucinations or daydreaming. Through these flashbacks Willy looses his grip on reality. Willy finally comes up with a way to make money. Towards the end of the play, in an imagined conversation with Ben, Willy says, "It's twenty thousand dollars on the barrelhead.

Guaranteed, gilt-edged, you understand?" . Ben responds by saying, "You don't want to make a fool of yourself. They might not honor the policy". . This conversation reveals Willy's plan to commit suicide so his family can collect twenty thousand dollars in insurance money. Willy eventually follows through on his plan and commits suicide and his family does not even collect on the insurance money.

This shows Willy firm belief in doing anything to get money by ending his own life for twenty thousand dollars. Willy was so focused on getting monetary success that he allowed it to ruin his life. The biggest problem is that this ambition did not die with Willy because he passed it on to his children. In the end, Willy died chasing the American Dream.