Death of a Salesman/Pursuit of Happyness

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A 5 page essay that compares Arthur Miller’s play “Death of a Salesman” and the 2006 film “The Pursuit of Happyness” (directed by Gabriele Muccino for Columbia Pictures) present two very different portrayals of fatherhood. The protagonists for both works are salesman, both fathers, both down-and-out and desperate to succeed. But they are also extremely different, in that Miller’s Willy Loman has a false sense of values and no sense of his own identity, while the film’s protagonist, Chris Gardner displays a firm sense of values and also demonstrates that he knows his own potential and abilities. In both cases, how the men view themselves is a legacy that is transmitted to their sons. Bibliography lists 1 source.