The mythical American dream called into question in The Death of a Salesman by Arthur MillerThe Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller calls the American dream into question. Before the Great Depression, an optimistic America offered the seductive promise of success and wealth. Willy Loman suffers from his disenchantment with the American dream, because it fails him and his son. In some ways, Willy and Biff seem trapped in a transitional period in American history. Willy, now sixty-three, spent much of his career during the Great Depression and World War II. The promise of success that fascinated him in the optimistic 1920s was shattered by the harsh economic realities of the 1930s. The unprecedented prosperity of the 1950s remained far in the future. Willy Loman represents a typically American figure: the traveling salesman. Every week, he takes a trip to try his luck. It would be difficult to miss the survival of the American frontier mentality in the figure of the traveling salesman. The idea of ​​the American Dream was heavily influenced by the gold and land rush in the 19th century American West. It is no coincidence that in the 1950s, the decade most preoccupied with the mythical American dream, America experienced an unprecedented love affair with westerns. Willy and Linda try to build their own version of the American dream with their family. In high school, Biff was the all-American boy as captain of the football team. True to the myth of the all-American boy, admiring girls and friends surrounded him. Willy and Linda's lives are filled with monthly payments for goods that symbolize this dream: a car, a house, and appliances. The increase in monthly payments has allowed families with modest incomes to find themselves in the middle of paper......a promise of the American dream. He cannot admit doubt or insecurity, because a good salesman always remains confident, and the American dream promises success to the confident and enthusiastic individual. Death of a Salesman addresses Willy's struggle to maintain his identity in the face of dwindling hopes that he or his sons will one day achieve his dreams. Works Cited Baym, Franklin, Gottesman, Holland, et al., eds. The Norton Anthology of American Literature. 4th ed. New York: Norton, 1994. Corrigan, Robert W., ed. Arthur Miller. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1969. Florio, Thomas A., ed. “Miller’s Tales.” The New Yorker. 70 (1994): 35-36. Miller, Arthur. The Archbishop's Ceiling/American Clock. New York: Grove Press, 1989.---. Death of a seller. New York: Viking, 1965.---. Eight pieces. New York: Nelson Doubleday, 1981.