In the play Death of a Salesman, Arthur Miller depicts the dissolution of the American family, as well as the decline of the prosperous lifestyles that have defined past generations, illustrating the theme of American decadence. From the first page, Miller sets in motion the idea that "the mighty have fallen"; that society is clearly no longer a place of opportunity. In this play, Miller proposes the idea that the opportunities of past generations in areas such as education and profession are now non-existent. Miller is defining a new society and his work illustrates a complete reworking of contemporary America. However, Miller isn't just capable of defining a new company on his own. As in other works of Arthur Miller, the characters presented in this play are extremely useful for Miller's development. Developing this theme of decadence, Miller establishes characters such as Willy and Biff. In the play, Willy is a good-natured local salesman who travels from place to place providing for his family; he is the consummate father figure, symbol of the America of the past. Meanwhile, the character Biff is a lazy, ignorant womanizer who can't find a job, a symbol of America today. These characters, along with distinct traits, provide further support for Miller's damning argument that America is clearly divided by its greatness. In the play Death of A Salesman, one way Miller establishes his theme of decadence is through the idea that work is non-existent. . Throughout the 20th century, as America became a nation of opportunity, the supply of jobs never tired; however, continuing with this theme of decadence, no one in this play can find a job. For example, the youngest members of the family, Biff and Happy, ...... in the center of the paper ...... express these opinions “Pop, I'm nothing! I'm nothing, dad. You can't understand it” (133). This vocalization once again reinforces the idea that the American dream is dead and that depravity has taken over a once powerful country. In conclusion, the dissipation of American society is skillfully crafted by Arthur Miller. In this play the reader is taken step by step through the process of the salesman's death and the (connected) American dream. It seems from the first pages that the idea that decadence is real is set in motion; the vocalizations and contrasting traits are proof of this. In the end, this play has a specific story and is vividly illustrated. For Miller, the dreams of the past are dead as society is now in a period of decadence; truly the only hope for reclaiming the past glory days died with Willy Loman, the true seller of the American dream.