Currently, depression and its impacts on society have become a major concern. The development of depression has been widely debated with theories ranging from a chemical imbalance of neurotransmitters in the brain to a mental state created by an inability to accept life's flaws. In the play Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller, the main character Willy Loman struggles to achieve the American dream and, failing to do so, develops depression and becomes suicidal. Miller's use of Willy Loman's mental progression shows that Miller's perception of depression comes from the second of the previously mentioned theories, but that the tragedy created by Willy's death was not caused by anything. either of what he did or did not do; Willy's tragedy was created by a fundamentally flawed society. At the time Death of a Salesman was written, the American Dream meant, "If you work hard and play by the rules, the government should guarantee financial security, education, health care, and housing." The ideal presented through the American Dream is often unattainable and since this reality has continued to persist over seventy years after Death of a Salesman was written, it only proves Miller's point that society is imperfect. Unfortunately, the progression of life described by Willy Loman echoes in the lives of today's youth, especially students, due to socio-economic factors, wishful thinking and loss of identity, which leads to the boom in depression that we are currently seeing around the world. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why violent video games should not be banned”? Get an original essay The belief in the American dream that through hard work one can achieve one's rightful place in society only seems reasonable 'in theory. Hard work alone does not automatically lead to success. According to a journal article published by Princeton University, "nearly half of the cohort born in the 1930s were upwardly mobile [their employment was in a higher category than their father's]" and goes on to say : “among men born in the 1960s and 1970s, downward mobility is almost as common as upward mobility.” Therefore, although Willy Loman may have a reasonable chance of achieving his goals through hard work, the longer he waits to succeed, the more likely he is to succeed, both for himself and for his sons. Willy believes that "if a man is going to build something, he must be on the right track" (Miller, 65) and always refers to building something when asked about his future, but when the future of Willy finally arrives, he still has nothing to show and efforts he has put into the company he works for. Even in today's society, where young people work hard to earn postsecondary degrees, this tendency to stay in the same socioeconomic class persists because "higher education does not promote social equality as effectively as it claims to often ". In a second article published by Princeton University, Haveman and Smeeding assert that "In summary, the allocation of educational services (especially the highest quality services) is concentrated among young people from families with economic status the highest, and this concentration seems to be increasing. “If universities and colleges focus their efforts only on the wealthiest students, students from low-income families will have difficulty graduating, whichwill make it much harder to get a well-paying job to support an average lifestyle, making it harder for these low-income families to improve. than in their early days - just like the Loman family. Therefore, the diminishing chances of raising one's socioeconomic status through work or education, leading to depression among young people, is not surprising after realizing that their "world just wasn't good enough,” especially after realizing their work to achieve the American dream was pointless. .Despite the apparent futility of working to achieve one's dreams, a key characteristic of American society's dream is the hope of overcoming obstacles. However, even hope can lead to depression if perceived needs are not met. Oettingen and Mayer of the University of Hamburg studied the link between being too hopeful and depression "to understand how student populations can be simultaneously more depressed and more ambitious than ever" and found that "when educational aspirations exceed educational expectations,” students having “a greater gap between…aspiration and expectations was associated with greater depression” (quoted in Greenaway). This tendency to hope high and predict low, called “pipe hope,” creates a mindset in which any positive outcome is met with disappointment. If allowed to continue, this mentality develops depression due to the overall inability to feel happy. In Death of a Salesman, Willy believes that "the man who makes his appearance in the world of business, the man who creates personal interest, is the man who advances" and attributes sympathy as the cause of Dave's success Singleman. Willy's beliefs stemming from his fanciful hope cause his refusal to accept reality and ultimately create illusions to cope with his disappointment. An example of this is after Biff meets Bill Oliver to become a real salesman, the meeting ending with Biff stealing Oliver's fountain pen. When trying to explain the series of events to Willy, Biff is continually interrupted until he finally says, "Daddy, you won't let me tell you what I want to tell you" (Miller, 85 years old). This statement angers Willy and then enters a dissociative episode. Willy's practice of being overly optimistic is seen several times in the play and always ends in anger followed by withdrawal into his memories. Willy's response: "Inappropriate anger...can contribute to feeling victimized, sulking, or stuck feeling wronged." …driving him deeper into a state of anxiety or depression” (Firestone). False hope leading to feelings of dissatisfaction can create a state of mind in which depression develops, negatively affecting the lives of students and the Loman family. The third main factor contributing to the increase in depression is young people's lack of core identity. A study carried out at the Ph.D. students by researcher Sarah Bentley found that "students who could only rely on a single student identity expressed high levels of uncertainty and difficulty in...understanding what their doctorate meant." was for “young people without experience creating identities, because multifaceted individuals are unable to establish themselves outside of their role as students. This lack of self-awareness creates young people who struggle to discover themselves and are therefore prone to developing depression because of this struggle. Speaking of Death of a Salesman, Willy Loman prides himself on being a salesman, but his pride blinds him to his accomplishments outside of his job. For example, when talking to Charley, Willy says, "A man who doesn't..