Written in 1949, the play Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller transports the reader to post-war America. Here Miller tells the story of the Lomans. Willy Loman is a sixty-year-old street vendor. He worked thirty-five years to get a pay cut and a commission, but chose to keep his low-wage job, even though his neighbor Charley offered him a salaried job. Willy suffers from self-inflicted hallucinations regarding his eldest son Biff Loman and his eldest brother Ben, which ultimately lead to his death. Biff Loman is the eldest of the two sons. Biff is thirty-four years old and doesn't have a job. Biff was the star player of his high school football team, but due to his failure, his football dreams vanished before his eyes. Now, Biff is the only member of the Loman family to realize that they are living in this false reality and that they are doing better than they actually are. Happy Loman is two years younger than Biff, but more successful at work. Happy is the second born and Willy treats him like that. The reader often sees Happy seeking Willy's attention by talking about his work or saying that he is getting married. Finally, Linda Loman is the mother and wife. He is an enabler when it comes to Willy because he doesn't say anything about his hallucinations. Linda is the only one between her and Willy to recognize that they are happy and that money was not necessary to make the family happy. Directed in 1999, Sam Mendes' film "America Beauty" takes the viewer into an average suburban community. Here we meet the protagonist Lester Burnham. Lester is married to his wife Carolyn and has a fifteen-year-old daughter named Jane. Lester is depicted as ordinary and unmemorable, especially in his work. Thr... middle of paper... t epoche shows the reader or viewer that the American Dream may or may not have progressed. I would recommend Death of a Salesman to a friend because I like how Miller shows the symbolism of working your whole life for something and when you finally achieve it you're too old to enjoy it. I also like how he showed that physical appearance does not always promise a successful life because the reader can find out by comparing Biff and Bernard. I would also recommend the movie “American Beauty” because it has deep symbolism, especially when it comes to the plastic bag at the beginning of the movie. Yes, the film may contain some overly sexual scenes, but there is a lot of symbolism behind it. The viewer may not see the film the first time, but after watching it more closely and analyzing the actions of the characters one can say that it was a good film..