Each character brings forth a different version of their American Dream. During the 1940's and 1950's the business world was becoming more and more popular so most people thought that is the key to success. The more wealthy and the more popular you were, the happier you would be; that's what America showed to be the ideal dream. Willy fell into the category and was overcome by this idea of the American Dream. He enveloped every part of his life with this goal, and in effect it ruined him.
Willy's business life was a complete mess because of his lack of humility and inability to admit he needed assistance. He thought that "the man who makes an appearance in the business world...is the man who gets ahead" (33). That was his only goal in life, so when his job doesn't provide for his family he keeps the persona that he is successful and won't admit his failure. Charley even has to give Willy fifty dollars each week in order for him to pay for his family expenses. He refuses to ask his boss for a job in town so he wouldn't always be traveling, when he finally does ask, he is fired. This is the ultimate low for Willy, so in his sadness he continues lying to himself about his job and even refuses a job from Charley. In the end, he killed himself for the money from the life insurance policy. Willy's idea of the American Dream was not to spectacular as he thought it would be.
Furthermore, since Willy never achieved his American Dream, he forced it onto his sons. Willy was so desperate to succeed according to his dream, that he would stop at nothing until the dream was accomplished. His failure resulted in him losing his insanity. He began hallucinating that his sons were successful and going to achieve the dream he never did.
The societal pressures to be successful resulted in Willy ultimately taking his own life. The American Dream was supposed to be a dream instead of an expectation, yet Willy took it the opposite way. Due to the idolization of the dream, Willy desired to achieve it to an extreme that it ended in destruction.
Carissa, this begins in the right direction, but relies heavily on summary. When analyzing a text from a critical lens, it's still necessary to develop a persuasive thesis and then prove an arguable point-- the type of critical lens just determines what slant the thesis will take. What other CDs can support a historical analysis? What other information about the historical period can inform your thesis? Continue to take it deeper.
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