Many of the themes of Death of a Salesman absolutely resonate in the cultural, political, and workplace climate of 2016. For example, Willy is devoted to the American Dream, the idea that a man can pull himself into fame and fortune by just working hard enough. Through the course of the play, however, the audience sees that Willy's over-reliance on this dream and the supposed benefits of being well-liked and athletic have gotten him nowhere. In 2016, the American Dream is also layered with the promise that graduating from a good college will lead to a good, steady job and a good, steady life. According to the 2004 survey linked below, plenty of folks today think the American Dream is unattainable. It begs the question why such a dream has persisted for so long.
Another theme of the play that resonates today is appearances versus reality. Willy indulges in a constant fiction of how his life is based on superficial appearances. They can afford nice appliances, so they have wealth (even though they need to make regular payments on all of those appliances). Willy has friends from his sales all up and down the Eastern seaboard (even though no one comes to his funeral). Biff will grow up to make it big (even though Biff is experiencing a tremendous crisis of faith). As long as things look good, they are. In this modern age of social networking, how people portray themselves on Facebook, Instagram, and Snap Chat is typically far more polished, exciting, and enviable than most folks' every day lives. Are we just touching up our lives a little for the camera? Or do we have ourselves fooled, just like Willy?
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