To what extent is ‘Death of a Salesman’ a criticism of the values of modern American society

... Ed Daggett LVth 15th March 2001 To what extent is 'Death of a Salesman' a criticism of the values of modern American society Willy Loman is a true, patriotic American whose guiding philosophy is the American Dream. 'Death of a Salesman' shows how this dream does not always come true and what it can do to you. The American Dream is the base is the base on which the values of modern American society. It stems from Thomas Jefferson's Declaration of Independence, which basically implies that as an American, there is the promise of a new and better life. No matter you have emerged from, hard work, honesty and certainly ambition will lead to success, wealth and ultimately power. This is what Willy does; he has ambition, works extremely hard for himself and his family, but it hasn't paid off. 'Death of a Salesman' takes a pessimistic view, all the way through, of this

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