浅析《推销员之死》中的美国梦

American Dreams in Death of a Salesman
Abstract:With money as the theme of “American Dream”in Arthur Miller’s masterpiece Death of a Salesman is fully reflected. The tragedy death of leading character stands for the broken of American Dream. Willie’s twisty character is the main reason for his tragedy fate, while his social rules are the primary cause. These two reasons lead the broken of American Dreams.
Key words: Arthur Miller, Death of a Salesman, American Dreams
After the masterpiece Death of a Salesman came out by contemporary author Arthur Miller, it caused a big sensation among American playdom. Arthur Miller was praised as a social philosophical dramatist. His art achievement reached peakedness by his masterpiece Death of a Salesman. Willy Loman who was a salesman believed American Dreams with no doubt thought only he worked hard and kind to people then he could get into the upper class. In this way, he could become rich and respect by people. Willy’s sons, Buf and Habbie, were controlled by American Dreams like their father. But unfortunately, they became victims of it. American Dreams is a kind of fairy tale in contemporary American society.
American Dreams in American literature
Every country and ethnic literature with unique tradition has its own emotion. For American literature, this kind of emotion is the “American Dreams”. Throughout the American literature of the 20th century, we can find a forever theme; this is the "American Dreams" of weight loss and prospects of persistent pursuit. The "American Dreams" is throughout the history of the United States, the most can reflect the ideal of American way of life and national spirit is the equality, freedom, tolerance, enterprising and idealistic belief of success, is the everyone has equal opportunity to succeed the hope and the possibility of miracles optimistic self-confidence. It is this "American Dreams", as it were, embodied the American spirit, embodies the American traditional value concept. The immersion in the American psyche of the "American Dreams" complex originated from immigration, Wild West. Early European settlers, who arrived in America with great vision and imagination to develop the new world, they overcome the bad natural environment, conquered the resistance of the native Indians, the establishment of a happy home in the new world. In this vision, fantasy, and gave birth to the embryo of the "American Dreams" of success. Religious propaganda tell people to success is a industry city people's gift of god, and secular literature is filled with "from rags to the millionaire's" dream of success. Later in the process of "gold rush" of western development, there are many adventurers overnight become wealthy upstart, is the "golden dream into a reality."All this has stimulated the "American Dreams" the growth of the uniquely American monsters. Americans are generally thought that as long as their hard work hard work
hard struggle will be able to succeed, to happiness. Spread the concept of the long and deep influence, is arguably accumulates deeply in the American collective unconscious psychological level, dominated the American behavior and life. And then the high-speed development of economy makes people full of confidence for the realization of the "American Dreams". Until the middle of the 19th century, American literature, especially the Walt Whitman as representative of romantic literature, with lofty sentiments and warm dream ruggedly sing of American democracy and freedom."Naive age" is over, however, stepped into the 20th century American literature finally refining device smile meditation. The American writers of the new century is no longer addicted to about the "myth" of American success, turned to the "American Dreams" to conduct a comprehensive reflection and criticism. The theme "war" on late for the first line, the early main performance from the Angle of social crisis the disillusionment of "American Dreams", the late mainly from individual existence crisis performance criticism of the "American Dreams".
Analysis for American Dreams in Death of a Salesman
In "Death of a Salesman" in the American Dreams of success is never forgotten Willy's brother, Ben. The age of seventeen, went to the African jungle, by means of competition comes out at the age of 21 became a millionaire with diamonds. His brother for Willie this from the start of his own fate is very sure, that I will become a rich man. This image, the embodiment of the American Dreams like ghosts always linger in his mind, Willie heart around all the time. Willy Roman life abides by the law of "success", his entire body and mind, enthusiasm, dedication, and even life are poured on the pursuit of success. Life ups and downs, poor management, by now, are old, still helpless and golden "American Dreams" for he is like a castle in the air. He hopes the success two sons, was to educate them to be thought, however, biff, as father wandering for many years, career achievements. All this to Willy Roman's great stimulation and mental anguish, because failure means that the library of his life struggling to pursue.
And Willy Roman career in stark contrast to the failure of the Willie is a modern man, embrace the American Dreams dreamed to get rich. As a good salesman, a good father, a good husband, loyal to his wife's widely revered. The harsh reality, however, far from it. Willy crisscrossed 36 years for the company's marketing work, at the age of more than 60 companies nor guaranteed salary for him, only to give him the sales, and have association with his client not retirement has been to the deceased. When Willie out marketing drive seven hundred miles but can't take home a money, but for the sake of self-esteem, nor of his wife the truth, only friend Charlie borrow fifty dollars a week to pay installment, even say oneself earn, this kind of work pressure.
Willy Roman is the victim of the "American dream". Like many Americans, he think that no matter how much he is a ordinary little people, as long as their efforts, god will help you, there will be a good house, good car. On the contrary, god will leave you. This belief has become a part of American culture. Times have changed, Dave Sigman told the wonderful memories can only is memory. In the materialistic
social reality, no warmth between people, "this is a heartless world. Willy's philosophy of success homes in the presence of this fact.
Finally, when realized thoroughly realize the American dream hopes, and his son biff has break with him in the thoughts, no longer believe the American dream, Roman helplessly on the point of no return. He is full of hope, for another version of the American dream and died. A sad thing, he is a failure. His wife can't get a $twenty thousand in compensation from the insurance company. Roman became victims of the American dream. He seems to be for the American dream is born, die for the American dream.
Summary
Death of a Salesman shows an ordinary American’s life for us. It tells a sad story of a failure. Willy’s tragedy is in his extreme superstition for American Dream. Just like crazy for religion, this kind of superstition erosions his age and life and twists his human character. At the beginning, he was just confidence blindly. Then following was disappointed and loneliness. At last, he lost his motivation for life. The process of failure is the process of Willy’s American Dreams’ broken.
参考文献：
亚瑟米勒《推销员之死》中国对外翻译1999。