Currently, depression and its impact on society have become a widespread 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 through an inability to accept flaws in life. In Arthur Miller's comedy Death of a Salesman, 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 stems from the second of the previously mentioned theories, but that the tragedy created through Willy's death was not caused by anything he did or did not do he did; 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 provide financial security, education, healthcare, and a home.” The ideal presented through the American Dream is often unattainable and since that reality continued to persist over seventy years after the writing of Death of a Salesman, it only proves Miller's point that society is imperfect . Unfortunately, the life progression described by Willy Loman echoes in the lives of today's youth, especially students, due to socioeconomic factors, quixotic hope, and loss of identity, resulting in the depression boom currently seen in the world. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The belief in the American Dream that through hard work one can gain one's rightful place in society appears reasonable only in theory. Hard work alone does not automatically lead to success. According to a newspaper article published by Princeton University, "Nearly half of those born in the 1930s were upwardly mobile [their job was in a higher category than their father's]" and goes on to say, "among men born in the 60s and 70s, downward mobility is almost as prevalent as upward mobility.” Therefore, while Willy Loman may have a reasonable chance of achieving his goals through hard work, the longer he waits the success will always have less chance of success for both himself and his children Willy believes that "if a man is building something he must be on the right path" (Miller, 65) and always refers to building something when asked about it. his future, but when Willy's future finally arrives he has nothing to show for all the time and effort he has put into the company he works for Even in today's society, where young people work hard to obtain post-secondary degrees, this trend to remain in the same socioeconomic class persists because “higher education does not promote social equality as effectively as it often claims to do.” In a second article published by Princeton University, Haveman and Smeeding argue that “In summary, the distribution of educational services (especially the highest quality services) is concentrated among young people from families with the highest economic status, and the concentration appears to be on the rise If universities and colleges focus their efforts only on wealthier students, students from low-income families will find themselves struggling to complete their degrees, making it much more difficult to get a well-paying job to support a style of lifemediocre, keeping those low-income families no better than when they started, just like the Loman family. Consequently, it is not surprising that the decreased chances of raising one's socioeconomic status through work or education leads to depression in young people after realizing that their "world was simply not good enough", especially after realizing that their work in trying to achieve the American dream was futile. .Despite the apparent futility of working to realize one's dreams, a fundamental characteristic of the American Dream is the hope in 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 excess hope and depression "to understand how student populations can be both more depressed and more ambitious than ever" and found that "when educational aspirations exceed educational expectations” students with “a greater discrepancy between… aspiration and expectation was associated with greater depression” (qtd. in Greenaway). This tendency to hope high and to foresee so-called “quixotic hope” creates a mentality in which any positive outcome is met with disappointment. If allowed to continue, this mindset develops depression due to the general inability to feel happy. In Death of a Salesman, Willy believes that “man making his appearance in the world of business, the man who creates self-interest, is the man who makes a career” and credits sympathy as the cause of Dave Singleman's success Willy's beliefs arising from his quixotic hope cause his refusal to accept reality and end with him creating illusions to cope with his disappointment. An example of this is after Biff's meeting with Bill Oliver about how to become a real salesman, the meeting ending with Biff stealing Oliver's fountain pen. When he tries to explain the series of events to Willy, Biff is continually interrupted until he finally says, “Dad, you won't let me tell you what I want to tell you” (Miller, 85). This statement causes Willy to become angry and then enter a dissociative episode. Willy's practice of being overly hopeful is seen repeatedly in the play and always ends in anger followed by his retreat into his memories. Willy's response of “Maladaptive anger…can contribute to feeling victimized, sulky, or stuck feeling like he has been wronged. …dragging him further and further into a state of anxiety or depression” (Firestone). Quixotic hope that leads to feelings of dissatisfaction can create a state of mind in which depression thrives, negatively impacting the lives of students and the Loman family. The third major factor contributing to the rise of depression is young people's lack of a core identity. A study of Ph.D. students by researcher Sarah Bentley found that “students who were able to draw on only one student identity expressed high levels of uncertainty and difficulty in…understanding what their Ph.D. was for” meaning young people without the background to create identities as multifaceted individuals are unable to assert themselves outside of their role as students. This lack of sense of self creates young people who struggle to discover their true self and therefore prone to developing depression due to that struggle. Related to Death of a Salesman, Willy Loman is proud to be a salesman, but his pride blinds him to his accomplishments outside of work. For example, while talking to Charley, Willy says, “A man who.