The Disillusion Of The American Dream In Arthur Miller’s Death Of A Salesman
Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller deals with the disillusion of the American dream. The principle character Linda struggles to manage her life. Her consistent need to reflect and impulse to live in the present demonstrates that success is not effectively accomplished and is hard to keep. The real catastrophe falls upon Linda Loman. The most established of tragedies happen in circumstances where the character has little authority over the issue. The tragedy of Linda Loman is not as misrepresented and wicked as a Shakespearean disaster. She has a fixed mentality, where she trusts that certain situations will work out to improve things, yet this is a false expectation. They just shrivel. In the Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller, the manners by which feelings of fulfillment and regret sway Linda's decisions, unavoidably leading to the obliteration of her family.
To begin with, the most significant decision made is the point at which she weds Willy Loman. Because of this, her life later goes into disturbance. Linda's personality can be resolved through Miller's stage directions. When she speaks with her kids, Biff and Happy, she is somewhat strict and stern. When conversing with Willy, she acts as though she is stomping on eggshells. Biff, the child of Linda and Willy, is a source of agony towards his father. In the first act, Linda reprimands her kid for not being logically careful and understanding. Linda proceeds to clarify that at whatever point Biff moves more into the nation to function as a farm hand, Willy complains about the job. When Biff leaves his work environment to reconsider his profession, Willy becomes erratic. Biff has to accommodate himself with his dad's past activities before he can push ahead with his life, demonstrating that the troubles and sins of parents are left for their youngsters to fight with.
Since he stresses unquestionably more than he should, his dementia declines, to the point where he starts to talk with himself. To fix this issue, Linda believes that if her children find a proper job and become successful, Willy will go back to normal. She wants her children to live up to her husband’s dreams. This is not entirely because she believes in the American dream, but rather, she knows if her sons become successful, her husband will regain his sanity. She is correct, but to an extent. Whenever Biff acts as though he has his life under control, Willy negative thoughts fade away. Although this may be true, it does not last long, as Biff is not built for the ‘business world’. When Biff becomes fed up, he complains about Willy’s behaviour to Linda, but all she says is “Biff, dear, if you don’t have any feeling for him, then you don’t have any feeling for me”. Even though Willy has lost control in life and goes away from his family for weeks, Linda still adores his agony of an unfulfilled life.
Linda, the mother, is set in an unbalanced position throughout the entire play. She is very much aware of Willy's self-destructive tendencies, however does little to prevent it. Linda is Willy's cheerleader. She regards all that he does, from pushing him to pay the bills to controlling her very own temper so she does not aggravate him. Linda realizes that Willy borrows money to pay for bills and life insurance. Notwithstanding the majority of this, Linda does nothing to stop it as she is apprehensive she will trouble Willy's psychological state. She is so terrified of his mental condition, to the point where she kicks Happy and Biff out so they do not upset Willy. Willy can be viewed as the kid and Linda is the mother that is shielding him from the whole world. All through the whole play, Linda lives out of dread and distress. Although Willy is discourteous towards her, it makes Linda believe that he might have taken part in an affair. Even with this information, she cares for him. Willy is portrayed as “only a little boat looking for a harbor.' Willy's regrettable and pathetic past has a direct effect on his personal relationships later in his life. His behaviour in the days preceding to his death proves how his regrets of the past can affect the lives of those around him. Even after all the shortcomings, Linda adores Willy and does whatever she can to bring happiness in his life. She plays alongside his dreams, and enables him to do as he wishes, to make sure she does not lose him.
Later on in the play, Linda discovers Willy’s temptations of suicide. At this point she realizes that he has lost his mind and also figures out that Willy has kept a rubber hose in the hidden just to commit suicide. Although she knows about all of this, she does not step in and talk to Willy. Instead, she tries to act like the perfect wife; she is more patient, loyal, and portrays a submissive nature. Even after all of this, she is a widow at the end. When she is sitting near his grave, not a single tear rolls down her cheek. It is as though she has lost all the emotions in that moment. Willy is dead, her sons hold grudges against her, and her house is paid off. Willy’s passing hits her: “I made the last payment on the house today. Today, dear. And there’ll be nobody home.” This is the moment she realizes that she will be living in the house alone, which she does not appreciate at all. It does not matter to her that the house is paid off. This is what causes her tears to flood out. She believes that if Willy just held on a little longer, his financial worries would have vanished. After his death, they became free of money troubles. At the end, Linda is so heartbroken that Biff has to take her into the house through force. The play ends when her sadness echos by the stage directions. Although this was a harsh loss, it was indirect and unpredictable compared to the rest of the play, which is what Miller intended to do.
To conclude, the American dream is a denial of reality, and a crafted product of capitalism trying to make the most out of a population. Linda holds back her crying, which reflects the sorrow, particularly when a demise is so surprising. Linda feels remorseful for her tearless response, which is mainly because she feels lost and confounded. Over her surprise, which shows itself in her inquiries, Linda can't fold her head over the fact that she will never see Willy again, which is a normal way of thinking after a death. She muses, “It seems to me that you’re just on another trip. I keep expecting you.” In the Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller, the ways in which feelings of satisfaction and regret impact Linda's choices, inevitably leads to the destruction of her family.
