Miller ‘s Death of a Salesman and A raisin in the Sun presents “ the attempts and defeats of a household in chase of the American Dream ” ( Curtain 115 ) . Dreams are the really different to each person. Walter, the hero in A Raisin in the Sun is another Willy who struggles to recognize his version of American Dream. In their efforts to accomplish the Dream, Willy and Walter shows that they are common in some facets. A societal survey by Alister Bull points out “ America may still believe as the land of chance, but the opportunities of populating a rags-to-riches life are a batch lower than elsewhere in the universe ” ( BBS ) . The American Dream is merely semblance. It is semblances of opportunity for the hereafter.
Walter has high outlook of himself and he seek out to win. Hansberry has stated that “ … Walter Younger is an American more than he is anything else, ” he believes anyone can go anything he wants to be in the land of promise. He wants to discontinue his deadening occupation. He works as a chauffeur for white. He wants to be successful man of affairs who runs his ain concern. As solid groundss of success, he wants to purchase a Cadillac convertible and “ some existent pearls ” for Ruth, large house with a garden for his household and chance to travel to good cognize college in America for Travis ( 1537 ) . For himself, he would wish to drive a black Chrysler because “ Rich people do n’t hold to be brassy ” ( 1538 ) .
Other common backgrounds of their dreams is the thought of being “ large ” , which they are obsess with. The word “ large ” is frequently used by Willy and his two boies: Willy tells around that “ … working on a really large trade ” ( 1466 ) . He believes his boies will “ stop up large ” ( 1469 ) . That is why Biff complains he has to “ be boss large shooting in two hebdomads, ” to fulfill Willy ‘s dream.
The thought of being “ large ” besides use as of import in the life of the Younger household. Walter follows the thought of being “ large ” : “ Big. Invest large, gamble large, snake pit lose large if you have to, you know what I mean ” ( 1525 ) . When Walter finds out his boy want to be a coach driver, he responses, “ A what? Man, that ai n’t nil to desire to be! … ” “ cause, adult male – it ai n’t large plenty – you know what I mean ” ( 1537 ) . Waiter ‘s attitude echoes Willy ‘s symbolic slogan: ” Start large and you ‘ll stop large ” ( 1452 ) . Other members of Walter ‘s household besides reflex his attitude. Lena is most realistic character in the drama, besides has desire for something large, something high in her life:
“ Lord, of all time since I was a small miss, I ever remembers people stating, “ Lena Lena Eggleston, you aims excessively high all the time.You needs to decelerate down and see life a little more like it is. Merely decelerate down some “ That ‘s what they ever used to state down place “ Lord, that Lena Eggleston is a exalted thing: She ‘ll acquire her due one twenty-four hours ” ( 1553 ) .
Lena seems to carry through at least a portion of her dream because she buys a nice house: “ I merely seen my household falling apart today… When it gets like that in life – you merely got to make something different, push on out and make something bigger… ” ( 1530 ) .The characters ‘ desire to be “ large ” reflects emptiness of their dreams. They are confuse by the bright visual aspect of the American dream.
Walter and Willy are non qualified to be “ large ” as they imagine because they have many failings. First, they fail to understand the demands of instruction as the first major measure to get down their hunt for the dream. Willy ‘s attitude toward instruction is good demonstrate when he teaches his boies:
Bernard can acquire the best Markss in school, y’understand, but when he gets out in the concern universe, y’understand, you are traveling to be five times in front of him That ‘s why I thank Almighty God you ‘re both built like Adoniss. Because the adult male who makes an visual aspect in the concern universe, the adult male who creates personal involvement, is the adult male who gets in front, Be liked and you will ne’er desire. ( 1435 ) .
Willy believes that anyone can win by “ being well-liked ” or “ make an visual aspect ” in the concern universe, even without instruction. Walter besides miss importance of instruction. He accuses George and Beneatha:
“ I see you all the clip – with the books tucked under your weaponries – traveling to your ( British A a mimic ) “ clahsses. ” And for what! What the snake pit you learning over at that place? Filling up your caputs – ( Counting off on his fingers ) – with the sociology and the psychological science – but they learning you how to be a adult male? How to take over and run the universe? They learning you how to run a gum elastic plantation or a steel factory? New – merely to speak proper and read books and wear white places. “ ( 1525 ) .
He reproaches colleges produce merely goldbricks. When he can non understand the importance of instruction as significances of dreams.
Walter and Willy both try to accomplish American dreams without attempts, both of them are immoral. Willy one time encourages his boy to steal stuffs to repair their stepss. Their offense is grounds of bravery and spirit. He even asks Bernard to assist Biff darnel on scrutiny. Walter is besides corrupted by philistinism. He merely counts being wealth and have power is of import. It is slightly meaningful for him to run liquor shop, which Mama thinks immoral. Walter does n’t experience guilty when he decides to corrupt the functionaries to acquire the licence. They are immoral and besides frequently blind to demands. Willy tries to kick out the adult female he slept with in forepart of Biff. He try to cover his black state of affairs. Willy tries to cut down Linda ‘s speaking whenever she tries to open her oral cavity, while he keeps disrupting Biff ‘s speaking. Walter says to Beneatha, “ go be a nurse like other women-or merely acquire married and be quiet… ” ( 1501 ) . He does non care about Beneatha ‘s dream being forfeit to fulfill his ain.
Willy and Walter portion many weak points. Their dreams are closely related with their household, particularly with their boy. Willy and Walter differ by their household backgrounds. For Willy, he did non hold any parental love: “ Dad left when I was such a babe and ne’er had a opportunity to speak to him and I still feel-kind of impermanent about myself ” ( 1445 ) . In contrast, Walter has received full attending and love from his parents. Mama describes her hubby as one who greatly love his kids. One of the grounds Big Walter ‘s decease was loss of his 3rd child few old ages ago. Walter received love from his parents during his childhood led him to develop “ his strong sense of self-pride, enabling him to the full to accept American values and giving him the assurance to prosecute his dream ” ( Washington 115 ) .
Willy and Walter are in love for their kids. Willy have commit his desire for parental love though pouring his fondness, and through doing himself idolise to his boies. Linda points out, “ Few work forces are idolized by their kids the manner you are ” ( 1437 ) . He expects his boies to carry through the dream. He knows he fails to accomplish through “ being liked. Willy and Walter ‘s outlook for their boies can be combine by Mama ‘s address, “ Seem like God did n’t see fit to give the black adult male nil but dreams-but He did give us kids to do them woolgather seem deserving while ” ( 1505 ) .
Their desire to carry through dreams is fundamentally for their boies. Their hunt for the dream is besides influenced by their matrimonial state of affairs. Linda profoundly understand spouse. She told her boies:
… I do n’t state he ‘s great adult male. Willy Loman ne’er made a batch of money. His name was ne’er in the paper. He ‘s non the finest character that of all time lived. But he ‘s a human being, and a awful thing is go oning to him. So attending must be paid He ‘s non to be allowed to fall into his grave like an old Canis familiaris. Attention, attending must be eventually paid to such a individual ( 1447 ) . At this point, it seems natural for Willy to cry: ” You ‘re my foundation and my support, Linda ” ( 1427 ) .
A closer scrutiny of Linda ‘s attitude toward Willy, she does non to the full understand him. Willy returns from a gross revenues trip. He brags that he made more than twelve hundred on the trip and Linda starts to cipher how much their net income will be. His crow is followed by the awful confession that he made merely two hundred gross on the trip. Linda answers, ” Well, it makes 70 dollars and some pennies. That ‘s really good. ” ( 1436 ) . Linda negotiations cold instead than generousness to her hubby ‘s jobs. Willy finds out other people laugh at him and he talks excessively much. When he admits the facts to Linda, he is uncovering his true individuality as a adult male of disheartenment and failure. Linda fails to assist him accept the truth, “ Oh do n’t be foolish ” “ You do n’t speak excessively much, you ‘re merely lively ” , “ Willy darling, you ‘re the handsomest adult male in the universe ” ( 1437 ) . By lodging to semblance Willy seek to engraft. She avoids the painful minute, so she lose opportunity to assist to accept the world. Therefore, one can non deny that “ there is a clear connexion between her refusal to dispute those semblances and decease ” ( Bigsby, “ In Memoriam ” 12 ) .
Ruth in A Raisin in the Sun understands the defeat of her hubby, Walter. Unlike Willy he does non kick of his careless married woman, Walter openly complains:
“ That ‘s it. There you are. Man say to his adult female: got me a dream. His adult female say: Eat your eggs and travel to work. ( passionately now ) Mans say: I got to alter my life, I ‘m choking to decease, babe! And his adult female say- ( In utter anguish as he brings his fists down on his thighs ) -Your egg is acquiring cold! “ ( 1499 ) .
Confronting Walter ‘s mistake, Ruth attempt to assist him: “ No. Mama, something is go oning between Walter and me. I do n’t cognize what it is-but he needs something-something I ca n’t give him any more. He needs this opportunity, Lena. ” ( 1504 ) . She understands what Walter truly craves for successful concern. This is why she give the insurance money to Walter even though she knows she has nil to make with the money. The relationship between Walter and Ruth reflex to Mama and Big Walter. Mama remembers “ “ Honey, Big Walter would come on here some darks back so and slouch down on that sofa at that place and merely expression at the carpet, and expression at me and look at the carpet and so back at me and I ‘d cognize he was down so… truly down ” ( 1505 ) . Unlike Linda who keeps blind to her hubby ‘s jobs, Mama understands Big Walter ‘s state of affairs. Her enduring get from weakness. She has to experience in forepart of her hubby ‘s defeat. Lena shows forbearance, apprehension, altruism and love toward her boy every bit good as the hubby.
Willy and Walter shortly find out that their dreams are doomed to failure. Willy ‘s defeat of his ain failure besides come from his boy, Biff ‘s. He already cognize about his ain failure. “ I ( Biff ) ne’er got anyplace because you ( Willy ) `stand taking orders from anybody! That ‘s whose mistake it is! ” ( 1487 ) . Biff has failed to acquire a stable and profitable occupation. He still earns merely a dollar an hr. He has been imprisoned several times for the offense of larceny.
As a consequence of the failure, they are faced with painful rousing minute. When Willy realizes his dream disappear, he clings to another new semblance: “ He ( Biff ) will do it with their money. ” He believes that Biff will hold a good opportunity to acquire in front in the universe, if he can go forth life insurance money for Biff through self-destruction. When Walter finds money gone with the impostor, he accept the guilty money collected by the white neighbours of the new community to purchase the Youngers off. At last minute, he changes his head. Alternatively of having money, he declares to Mr. Lindner, “ We have decided to travel into our house because my father-my father- he earned it ” ( 1558 ) . Here, Walter achieves manhood, recognizing that “ self-respect is a quality of work forces, non bank histories ” ( Weales 529 ) .
In different reactions from each other, Willy and Walter still have something in common. Their desire “ to manus the universe to his boy ” in sincere manner. For Willy, self-destruction is more than simple look of semblance, it is an positive action to demo self-respect and significance of his life. Walter ‘s religious growing is easy justified, sing his warm and strong fondness for Travis. By rejecting Lindner ‘s offer in Travis ‘s presence, he hands down non dishonor but plume and self-respect to Travis, maintaining the dream alive. Because of their dreams “ revealed, suspended, destroyed, and renewed once more ” spring from the heroes ‘ concern for their households, both dramas are domestic under the apparently societal context.
