COMMITTING SUICIDE: A FAILURE IN REACHING AMERICAN DREAM REFLECTED IN ARTHUR MILLER’S DEATH OF A SALESMAN

Abstract

There are three problems to discuss in this thesis. The first is the depictions of American Dream pursued by Willy Loman in the Death of a Salesman. The second is the cause of Loman’s Suicide in the Death of a Salesman. And the last is how Loman’s failure in reaching American Dream leads to suicide. Sociology of Literature is used to understand deeper the social condition of the era to get a clear description of the social events depicted in the drama. While Durkheim’s theory of suicide is used to explain the suicide from sociological perspective. There are three steps of the analysis: the first is by identifying the depictions of American Dream pursued by Willy Loman. The next is by understanding Loman’s abrupt economic transitions from sufficient to insufficient income and unemployment. The last is by explaining the suicide as a failure in reaching american dream. The result of study shows that Loman has some desires that he wants to realize as the manifestation of American dream. Loman’s desires are represented by the dream to become a successful person, the dream to have a more convenient house and the dream for his son to become a businessman. However, because of long lasting economic crisis which is called Great Depression, his dreams are unable to reach. He experiences abrupt financial declines so that he is not able to fulfill his needs as well as his dreams. His inability makes him commit suicide to get insurance money for his family.