Through the character Charley, Arthur Miller illustrates how the American Dream may be achieved through hard work. To Charley, the American Dream is having a comfortable life and putting his son Bernard through college. Charely worked consistently throughout his life, never trying to shoot for too high hopes. Because of this, Charley later in life, had a steady enough income to live comfortably and put his son through college. He even had money to spare so that he could loan it to the needing Willy Loman.
Charley placed good ethics on Bernard, like working hard to become successful. By the later part of Charley’s life, he was living comfortably because of all his hard work, and he set his son Bernard in the right path. Bernard had obviously succeeded in life through his hard work in his younger days while Biff just played around. Bernard is successful in that he is making a good living and is doing what he wants with his life. Back in high school Biff took the easy way out by copying all of Bernard’s work.
Bernard thoughed it out, worked hard, and succeeded where Biff failed. Bernard was making a good life by getting through school then doing what he believed in. For instance towards the end of the play he is going to the Supreme Court to fight a case. Bernard was now a successful lawyer who was doing what he believed in and had a pasion for. His American Dream was achieved much like his father’s. Thus Charley proves that Arthur Miller believed in the American Dream.