Death of a Salesman
The Fall of Willy Loman, Dan Cleary & Liam McMahon
Is the American Dream an achievable goal?
"Biff Loman is lost. In the greatest country in the world a young man with such—personal attractiveness, gets lost. And such a hard worker. There’s one thing about Biff— he’s not lazy." (Miller 6) Biff Loman has started in a low class after being taught by Willy, and stayed in the same class upon aging if not entering a lower class. If individuals do not change their ways or follow the path of someone else unsuccessful, they are bound to turn the same way such as Biff did.
Walter White from Breaking Bad
"All I can do now is wait for the merchandise manager to die. And suppose I get to be merchandise manager? He’s a good friend of mine, and he just built a terrific estate on Long Island. And he lived there about two months and sold it, and now he’s building another one. He can’t enjoy it once it’s finished. And I know that’s just what I’d do. I don’t know what the hell I’m workin’ for. Sometimes I sit in my apartment—all alone. And I think of the rent I’m paying. And it’s crazy. But then, it’s what I always wanted. My own apartment, a car, plenty of women, and still, goddamnit, I’m lonely." (Miller 14). This quote is spoken by Happy Loman. Death of another is required to progress, and this can be considered similar to the steps taken by Walter White in order to succeed.
The Wolf of Wall Street
Financial/Employment Success (or lack thereof)- The Wolf of Wall Street
The Wolf of Wall Street is a movie directed by Martin Scorsese that tells the real life story of Jordan Belfort, a man from a blue collar family who becomes a stockbroker with the goal of being a millionaire in mind. Jordan had a dream of what his life would be which he attempted to achieve but ultimately failed due to the flaws of excessive drug use, illegal operations, and familial turmoil. The problems that got in the way of obtaining and retaining Jordan’s dream parallel well to those faced by Willy Loman in Death of a Salesman. Willy’s dream of becoming a well-liked, successful salesman is deterred by his counter-productive values, mental illness, and familial turmoil. Willy’s counter productive values of being liked and handsome are clearly stated when he says, “Be liked and you will never want” (Miller 21), and further exemplify Willy’s flaws that prove devastating to his dream. The stories of Jordan Belfort in the Wolf of Wall Street and Willy Loman in Death of a Salesman relate well and depict important personal issues.
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Works Cited
Miller, Arthur, and Gerald Clifford Weales. Death of a Salesman. New York: Penguin, 1996. Print.