The play Death of a Salesman can be considered one of the many examples of the "American dream" and hard work to achieve success in literature American. In the play, readers read and discuss the history of the Loman family and the difficulties they experience. Along with this, readers learn about the family's aspirations to succeed and their relentless efforts to achieve the "American Dream." Despite this, each member of the Loman family seems to struggle to achieve the success they desire. Additionally, Willy Loman, the protagonist of the play, shows external and internal conflicts throughout the story. Unfortunately, Willy becomes suicidal and kills himself because of his chaotic life. Ultimately, the major themes that plagued Willy's pain led to his death. However, as we read through the book, we learn that it was not just Willy's financial difficulties and personal problems that influenced his sullen death. The "American dream", father-son relationships, abandonment and betrayal are the major themes of Death of a Salesman which contributed to the death of Willy Loman. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay At the beginning of Death of a Salesman, Biff talks to Happy and says, "Why does daddy make fun of me all the time." This short excerpt from the play tells readers that the relationship between Willy and the boys is strained and that communication is needed between them. Their father-son relationship had broken down over the years, which became apparent to Willy and ultimately contributed to his death. However, their father-son relationship didn't fall apart until Biff and Happy were in high school. Willy always taught the boys at school that being popular and well-liked was the key to a bright and prosperous future. Unfortunately, this influenced Biff and Happy's behavior and academic ethics, resulting in Biff not being able to graduate. That summer however, Biff has the opportunity to go to summer school and retake math class, but catches his father having an affair while visiting Willy in Boston . This encounter destroys their relationship and upsets Biff, who never ends up going to summer school and graduating, leading to Biff's unhappy and miserable life. To add, Willy never taught the boys to become mature, respectful men. This idea relates to Happy's life and this is seen through the play of Happy being a womanizer and disrespectful to women. From Death of a Salesman p. 9, Happy talks to Biff about his first meeting with a woman and describes her as a pig. Later in the book, he chats with Biff again and states that he slept with his boss's fiancée. At the end of Act II, Happy and Biff leave Willy at the restaurant where they were supposed to dine, feeling embarrassed in front of Miss Forsythe and Letta. “No, he’s not my father.” Happy's statement essentially denied Willy after he finally had enough of Willy's troubled mind. Throughout the play, all of Willy's wrongdoings affected his relationship with Biff and Happy and led to his downfall. Willy felt like a failure and finally realized all the mistakes he had made in raising his children. With nothing left to fix or change what he did, the major theme of the father-son relationship became part of Willy's reasoning for killing himself for the better. To add, throughout Death of a Salesman, the Loman family and Willy most encounter experiences of abandonment and betrayal. This major theme is found in the play and readers can see how this factor played a role in the death..