Death Of A Salesman Symbolism Essay

Symbolism, as defined by Oxford Dictionary, is the "use of symbols to represent ideas or
qualities." Throughout the play Death of a Salesman, by Arthur Miller, he uses symbols to represent
a greater idea and to say more than what is actually being said. Through the use of stockings, a
rubber hose,a tape recorder, and seeds, Miller demonstrates the power that these items have over the
Loman family. The symbols of materialism do not work satisfy the Loman family but instead create
additional problems. One reoccurring symbol throughout the story was the silk stockings. The silk
stockings are representative of Willys Shame, guilt, and infidelities. Throughout the story, Willy
scolds Linda for mending her stockings. Willy says, "What's that?"...show more content...
Willy inted on inhaling gas from the water heater as a means of suicide. Linda becomes petrified
when she finds the rubber hose behind the water heater. She says to her sons, "I was looking for a
fuse. The lights blew out, and I went down to the cellar. And behind the fuse box– it happened to fall
out– was a length of rubber pipe–just short"(1455). Linda is ashamed that she cannot bring herself
to confront Willy about the hose. She says, "How can I mention it to him? Everyday I go down
and take away that little rubber pipe. But, when he comes home, I put it back where it was. How
can I insulate him that way?"(1456). The hose represents all of the lies and deception that has been
taking place between the members of Loman family .Linda refuses to accept that Willy would ever
kill himself. When Biff tells her that he got rid of the pipe, she is relieved but also saddened by the
fact that Willy did not remove it himself. L.M. Domina, author of "Overview in Death of a Salesman
writes, "This inability to acknowledge the truth affects the family on many levels but most
particularly in terms of their intimacy with one another and their intimate relationships with others."
Biff brings the hose out onto the kitchen table in an attempt to bring the truth to the light. In this
pivotal moment in the play, Biff addresses the whole family when he says, "We never told the truth
for
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Death Of A Salesman Character Analysis
Undeniably charming, Death of a Salesman begins quickly, and immediately grabs a reader's
attention. A paragraph of stage directions sets a clear picture in the reader's head, and then
immediately transitions to develope the protagonist by revealing his wife's thoughts. The setting is
described in depth through the stage directions; Death of a Salesman takes place in Willy's small,
fragile home in Brooklyn. Willy, the protagonist, and Linda, his wife, are the first characters
introduced. Their dialogue smoothly connects from the Linda's inside thoughts to her physically
speaking, and stage directions are fluidly incorporated as well. Willy and his wife discuss his failed
sales trip, and Linda asks him to convince his boss to let him...show more content...
Linda entered and the boys were sent to do chores. Willy bragged to Linda about his successful
business trip, but it is eventually realized that his trip was somewhat mediocre. Willy worried that
his earnings would not be able to cover all payments that he owed. He griped that he was not well
liked, and therefore bad at his job. Linda consoled him and Willy heard a woman laughing; he
seemed to have a sexual relationship with this woman as they flirted. The woman seemed to have
been a day dream within a day dream, and Willy floated back to his original daydream. Bernard ran
into the house, looking for Biff to study with. Biff was reminded to return his stolen football by
Linda, who also mentioned that he is too rough with girls. Willy angrily erupts at Biff before his
daydream scene ends. Walking into the kitchen, Happy notices his father pacing and muttering to
himself, the story moving back to present time. Regret is shown by Willy as he mutters to himself
about his brother Ben. Willy almost went to Alaska with Ben, but did not; however, Ben became
very rich through his finding of a diamond mine. Their neighbor, introduced through Willy's
flashback, Charles, hears the commotion and walks into the house. While Charlie is still with him,
Willy hallucinates his brother Ben. While talking to Charlie, Willy simultaneously talks to his

Symbolism in Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman
In his play, Death of a Salesman, Arthur Miller employs many symbols to illustrate the themes of
success and failure. They include the rubber hose, the tape recorder, and the seeds for the garden.
These symbols represent Willy's final, desperate attempts to be successful and the failure he cannot
escape.
The rubber hose represents both success and failure. It is attached to the gas main in Willy's house
and provides him with the opportunity to commit suicide. Willy sees this as a way to finally do
something for his family to make up for years of disappointment. He will no longer be a burden to
them when he is gone, and they will remember him in a positive light. Yet Willy...show more
content...
He fires Willy, all the while playing with his new toy. While Willy is experiencing ultimate failure
in the business world, the loss of his job, Howard is focusing on his own success, represented by the
tape recorder.
The tape recorder also reflects Willy's inability to learn new technologies and adapt to society. Willy
is an old–fashioned guy who made no attempt to change or evolve. He cannot even figure out how
to turn off the tape recorder when he is left alone with it. Instead, he panics and calls for Howard to
come help him. Not only is Willy afraid of new technology, but also he honestly believes that the old
ways are best. Even when it becomes obvious to everyone else that his outdated sales tactics aren't
working, he still believes in them. Once again, Willy's inability to change with the times leaves him
unhappy and unsuccessful.
In spite of all of his setbacks, Willy still has hope things will improve for his family. Theseeds that
he plants in the backyard garden represent this. By being successful at this one little thing, Willy
will show that he cannot be written off. He will prove that everyone is wrong about him; he can be
successful at something. And the garden will be something nice for his family to enjoy. Yet Willy's
seeds of hope are doomed to failure. He plants them at night so no one can see

Metaphors And Symbolism In Death Of A Salesman
ABSTRACT
Miller has been one of the most outspoken American writers of the last four decades. He has held
generally progressive and radical views and has variously written against racism, capitalism and
Vietnam war. All these ideas are amply reflected in his plays. Death of a Salesman was Miller's
play and an instant success. It was hailed as a modern classic and has put Miller among the foremost
playwrights of this century. Death of a Salesman Miller is still concerned with the exploitations of
the individual and the evils of a commercial society. The protagonist Willy Loman ,was a traveling
salesman, and his family were the main characters in this play. The usage of Language, verbalism,
Symbolism were extraordinary and unique from other styles of Drama.
VERBALISM AND SYMBOLISM IN 'DEATH OF A SALESMAN'
Metaphors and Language suitable to the Subject Verbalism and symbolism are remarkable features of
the play, Death of a Salesman. The style of the speech...show more content...
He has ambition and expectations beyond his reach. This aspect is revealed by a contradiction in his
name 'low man' and his dream of 'high man'. In his own vision and dreams, his sons to him are
only boys','kids', little children with nollypops needing his advice and care. He fails to regard
them as grown up adults. Death of a Salesman, on a close examination, will be found a play with
logical and linguistic contradictions. But such contradictions are deliberate and are used to sharpen
the effect. Willy Loman suggests his moral immaturity through logical as well as linguistic
contradictions, especially when offering advice to Biff. He warns his sons: "gee is a boy's word",
and he uses this term frequently. He complains: "not finding yourself at the age of thirth–four is a
disgrace!", and "greatest thing in the world for him was to bum around," and that "Biff is a lazy
bum." And after some he grumbles: "And such a hard worker. There's one thing about Biff–he's not

Death Of A Salesman Symbolism
Every great novel always has tons of symbolism to help people truly see the point that the author is
trying to get across. In the book, The Death of a Salesman, the author, Arthur Miller, relies heavily
on the use of symbolism to constantly remind readers of the theme and message. Many symbols are
used throughout to illustrate the theme of success and failure, however, three specific items are
repeated a great deal throughout the story. The author's use of symbolism of the car, the stockings,
and the seeds are all essential pieces to the book. One big symbol constantly used throughout was
the car. Willy owns a Chevrolet car, an American made car, suggesting that he is chasing after the
American Dream: "Chevrolet, Linda, is the greatest

Symbolism in Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman
Arthur Miller's play, Death of a Salesman is wrought with symbolism from the opening scene. Many
symbols illustrate the themes of success and failure. They include the apartment buildings, the
rubber hose, Willy's brother Ben, the tape recorder, and the seeds for the garden. These symbols
represent Willy's attempts to be successful and his impending failure.
When Willy and Linda purchased their home in Brooklyn, it seemed far removed form the city.
Willy was young and strong and he believed he had a future full of success. He and his sons cut the
tree limbs that threatened his home and put up a hammock that he would enjoy with his children.
The green fields...show more content...
His wife Linda, who finds the hose, knows what he was going to do with it, as does Biff. When
confronted by Biff, Willy not only denies that he was going to use the hose, but also denies ever
seeing it before. Instead of being remembered as a successful businessman who died, Willy is seen
by his family as a failure who cannot even commit suicide or tell the truth.
Willy's brother Ben seems to symbolize all of Willy's dreams that have not borne fruit. Ben
provides an example of the type of success that Willy desires. Ben went into the "jungle" with
nothing and became extremely wealthy. Ben achieved in a few years what Willy has dreamed
about his entire life. Ben also provides additional evidence on the foolish behavior and poor
decisions made by Willy. Ben offers to take Willy with him and make him rich– an offer that Willy
declines.
Another important symbol is Howard's tape recorder. It represents the many material objects
wealthy businessmen could provide for their families and for themselves. Willy wanted this
lifestyle; he wanted "something he could lay his hands on" (Miller pg. ). It would not be enough
to just be successful; Willy wanted to be able to show people material representations of his
success. The tape recorder shows that Howard has reached this level of success. Yet while the
recorder symbolizes the wealth and power of Howard, it also represents Willy's discouragement and

Critical Analysis Of Death Of A Salesman
It is known that in literature, a tragedy is one of the most popular genres. It always combines some
story which discusses human sufferings with a certain sense of audience fulfillment. The roots of
the tragedy are related to ancient Greece. A Greek tragedy is a sad story, which represents a
character with a tragic flaw leading to his downfall. In addition, in traditional tragedy, the main
character falls from high authority and often it is predetermined by fate, while the audience
experiences catharsis (Bloom 2). Arthur Miller's play Death of a Salesman is considered to be a
tragedy because this literary work has some of the main characteristics of the tragedy genre. In this
play, the main character Willy Loman possesses such traits and behaviors that lead to his downfall,
and the audience experiences catharsis. Willy Loman as a real tragic hero comes to the decision to
commit suicide because of serious financial problems of his family (Phelps 79). This play has
already been criticized by a number of literary critics who represented different opinions on the plot
of the book. The major goal of this paper is to critically evaluate the play Death of a Salesman
written by the well–known American writer Arthur Miller, paying special attention to the play's
characteristics of a tragedy.
In the play Death of a Salesman, the author investigates human nature and represents his main
character as a person whose dissatisfaction with his own life leads to his tragic end. The plot of

Emily Alimusa
COM 101–FALL 2014
Death of A Salesman Essay Arthur Miller's play Death of a Salesman offers an instructive example
for understanding the production and maintenance of identity through communicative interaction in
a family using the character Biff Loman. Throughout the play, we see Biff's character develop and
change. He is in an identity crisis and is trying to understand his place in the Loman family. Biff is
constantly seeking the truth about himself. He believes there is more to his life than the lies
Willy has been feeding him and his brother all of their life. In the same note, he wants to prove to
his father that he is not the under achiever Willy makes him out to be. In the play, Willy Loman
creates his own reality for himself. This reality is merely a fantasy world where he and his two
sons are great and successful salesmen. They are well liked and the best there is. Willy tells his
sons since they were at least teenagers that they key to success is to be well liked. Be internalizing
this into his boys, they believe that his father is successful and that they want to be just like him.
Linda, Willy's wife, has helped him co–construct his reality by constantly making excuses for Willy.
She maintains the image of Willy being great all the way through the boys' adulthood. This is
especially important for Biff. Biff has always thought very highly of his father. Through social
interaction, this reality is maintained. In the scene when Willy, Hap and Biff

Symbolism in Death of a Salesman Symbolism can be defined as the use of something to
represent an idea, feeling, place, or object. For example, the american flag is a symbol of freedom
for many people. But how does this tie into Death of a Salesman? Arthur Miller, the author of the
play, used symbolism very frequently to convey meaning and add depth to his story. Many of
these symbols represent very negative emotions, such as fear, despair, and regret. While a lot of
these symbols are rather depressing, there are several positive symbols as well that can be found
with a bit of thought. Death of a Salesman is full of symbols that connect with and enhance the
play as a whole. The majority of symbols used in Death of a Salesman are quite negative. The piece
of rubber tubing that Linda finds behind the fuse box in the basement, for example, symbolizes the
end of Willy's life and, more directly, Willy's desperate attempts to commit suicide. Another large
symbol that appears frequently is that of the jungle, and the diamonds within....show more content...
When Ben speaks these memorable words, he is not talking about an actual jungle, but rather
about death and its grim "rewards". In this case, the jungle represents death, while the diamonds
represent the $20,000 life insurance that Willy's family will receive after his death. Willy
believes that it is scary and unknowable what will happen to him after death (hence the jungle),
but he thinks that the life insurance will benefit his loved ones, especially Biff. One more
example of negative symbolism in Death of a salesman is Biff's shoes. Biff had written the words
"University of Virginia" on his sneakers, showing he had a strong desire to graduate and go to
college. However, after finding out about Willy's affair with The Woman in Boston, his dreams
crashed. He burned his shoes shortly afterwards, and with it, his desire to pass math and make it to

In Death of a Salesman Miller offers a critique of American society. What is this critique and how is
it conveyed to the audience?
In Death of a Salesman Miller explores and exposes modern American society in a brutal and
scathing manner. His analysis and critique is conveyed clearly to the audience concluding that
society is based on a corrupt and immoral capitalist dream. Miller implies this through the Loman
family and their struggle to survive and compete. Techniques Miller employs to illustrate this are
symbolism, characters and structure.
Capitalism had an effect on every aspect of the 1940s' American society. McCarthy witch hunts were
rife and creating a fear of communism, many American artists and authors felt disenchanted by
...show more content...
In addition to this Howard isn't concerned how long Willy has been with the company and feels
like he owes him nothing. Willy isn't an asset in Howard's eyes and this is represented clearly to
the audience through Howard ignoring and keeping distant from Willy. "Ain't they sweet?"
Howard says about the voices of his children on the recording machine which has all his attention.
Howard shows no compassion or empathy towards Willy instead is only concerned with a
personal display or fulfilment. Throughout this scene Willy's confidence reduces just like his
salary demands, finally concluding in him being fired. This represents American society as being
harsh and unforgiving showing that it lowers the protagonist to any level so that they can just
purchase the essentials. Even when Willy voices his reason why he was a salesman in the first
place and how he wants to have a funeral like David Singleman, who to the audience, is portrayed
as a 84 year old, single salesman that dedicated the majority of his life to selling products even
when he should be retired. Howard dismisses the "story" and disregards Willy to needing "medical
help" and when he's "better" he could come back.
Following his dismissal Willy ends up in his "successful" neighbour's office, Charley. Charley sees
Willy is distraught even though Willy has come for his 50 dollars that we, the audience, know has
been

Death Of A Salesman Honesty Analysis
In Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller, the eldest son, Biff, loses faith in his father because he
caught his father having an affair with a woman at the hotel. Before the ordeal, Biff had looked
up to his dad and trusted what he said, he believed his father had integrity and after discovering
the truth he doesn't trust that his father is an honest man. This is important in terms of the theme
of delusion/avoidance of painful reality because Willy chooses not to be honest to his profession
and dreams so he is stuck in a vicious cycle of pain and shame of his life. Willy never face the
reality that he isn't the best business man and that it is just not his dream, he then faces delusions
that he is great at his job because he is living the American

Themes Of Symbolism In 'Death Of A Salesman'
Death of a Salesman In the movie Death of a Salesman (Death of a Salesman, 1985), we
understand that there are a lot of symbols presented in the movie. The symbols in the movie are:
stockings, the rubber hose, seeds, and a Tennis Racket. Each symbol represents the theme in the
movie and gives it more attention to detail. The main character, Willy, represents every symbol, he
makes up the whole movie. The movie makes it difficult to distinguish each symbol at times, so we
know that the movie isn't 100% perfect either. The first and most important symbol in my eyes is
the rubber hose. We understand that throughout the movie, we see Willy as an unhappy salesman
who crashes his car almost every week. The rubber hose is only brought up a few...show more
content...
Willy didn't make it far in the business world, so he had nothing left to give after his death.
Everything in his eyes all were focused on the past; about how good life was in the past before
Biff caught him having an affair. Much like a garden that produces fruits and vegetables, Willy
was not able to do the same for his sons. He was not able to produce stable relationships with his
boys. After Biff found out about the affair, things went rotten. Just like if you don't water the
plants in a garden, they'll rot. Stockings in the movie represent the affair Willy had. The affair
played a major role in the movie with the relationship between Biff and Willy. The relationship
between the two was disintegrated along with Biff's future. You can understand that the
stockings are a symbol because both Linda and the woman have them. Willy yells at Linda for
mending her stockings because he is ashamed of his actions while still being married. He refuses
to tell Linda, but will yell her for mending her own stockings. The stockings also remind him of
the time when Biff walked in the room to see him and the woman along with her new stockings.
Biff felt hurt by what his father did, and so did Willy. Willy and Biff might not show it in front of
Happy and Linda, but they're both hurt by Willy's actions. Willy's hurt because he gets lonely on
the road and wants someone to love, but feels very ashamed by his actions. Biff on the other hand is
hurt because he believes Willy treats

Death Of A Salesman Rhetorical Analysis
Author Miller's Death of a Salesman is plain and simply a call for everyday American's to wake
up and take a glimpse at the reality that could befall them, with the wrong ideals. It is not difficult
to decipher the type of character Willy Loman is, nor is the play analytically or rhetorically written,
for that very reason. Aside from the plain text Miller further goes on to evoke a call to action to his
audience through his saturation of symbolism. Everyday items, such as gardening seeds, stockings,
sneakers and a rubber hose that would normally mean nothing, become symbols that further the
development of Willy Loman's character, and provide us with knowledge of his past, his present, and
his impending downfall in the near future. In order...show more content...
Nothing's planted. I don't have a thing in the ground (Miller 90)." Those words uttered by
Loman, epitomize the character of Willy Loman, to be a complete failure. The seeds symbolize
Loman's unproductive present , his desire for a legacy but a barren future. Loman's character
never truly knew who he was, because he was continuously trying to become someone he was not.
Planting his labor in infertile soil, salesmanship, instead of leaving an imprint in something he
loved and could excel in. However by the time he realizes this it is too late, and he has nothing to
show for all of his labor, he doesn't have a thing on the ground. The only symbol in the play that
actively has a role in the ending, or the future, is the rubber hose, and it symbolizes Loman's
impending suicide, " There's a little attachment on the end of it. I knew right away. And sure
enough, on the bottom of the water heater there's a new little nipple on the gas pipe" Linda tells
Biff and Happy (Miller 42). The rubber hose characterizes Willy to be more than a suicidal man, it,
symbolizes the defeat of the character, the loss of hope, and what becomes of a someone who's
ambitions, morals and desires are

The eyes of the reader are opened wide after reading Thomas Foster's How to Read Literature like a
Professor and applying it to a text. There are many elements in Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman
that go unrecognized by the normal reader. Using the tactics presented by Foster, one can realize that
there is much meaning and symbolism in Death of a Salesman. The overall theme in Death of a
Salesman is the American Dream and how many people of the time period were desperate to
achieve it. To begin, the American Dream is related to Foster's chapter, "Nice to Eat with You:
Acts of Communion." In this chapter, Foster claims that, "whenever people eat or drink together,
it's communion" (Foster 8). Foster makes it a point that it is normally a gathering of friends that
is rather important. The author would not have put it in the text otherwise. Foster also points out
that acts of eating in a text tell how characters are doing or getting along (8). If the dinner turns
ugly, it is normally a bad sign, yet it contains "the same logic" (11). A bad dinner is often shown
through actions that shadow a reaction from characters. These claims made by Foster relate to
Death of a Salesman. In the play, Willy Loman is invited to go out to dinner with his sons, Happy
and Biff. Willy gets rather excited about this. However, during dinner, Willy finally lets loose and
tells his sons about the trouble that he has been experiencing. Willy had just been fired prior to the
dinner arrangement

Death of a Salesman
Human emotions are something that we seldom find a way to express clearly: from simple hand
gestures, to a disgusted face. To understand his novel more thoroughly, Arthur Miller uses the most
understandable method of comprehension, music, to express the emotions of the characters in his
play, "Death of a Salesman". The characters, Willy, Linda, Biff, Happy, and Ben, have a certain style
of music and instruments portraying them to show the reader what type of emotional person they
are. The beginning of the play starts with a soft, sweet, flute medley that announces Willy's gradual
trek home from Yonkers. This slow tune of confusion ends abruptly as Willy comes home and tells
of his troubles in Yonkers. This sentimental sound is...show more content...
Another bit of confidence is felt when Willy is going to ask Howard for a stationary job in New
York. The music that sounds troublesome in this play would have to be anything that involved
the Woman. The Woman is involved in many conflicts, but mainly between Biff and Willy. When
Willy is in the bathroom at the restaurant, a cheerful song begins, along side of the Woman's
laughter. The instant that Biff sees the Woman, the music stops, then begins once more but in a
slow, droopy manner. Now the music stops after a life has been wrecked. This type of music has
been foreshadowing his oncoming death by starting merry and ending abruptly in a sad way. Ben
has a special type of music. Being Willy's inspiration, he is portrayed by quick, lively music. His
wonderful stories of his life are told in contrast to a proud tune. His song does change a bit in parts
where Willy is confused or feeling low but is still lively at that. When Willy would ask Ben for
advice or for a short story about their father, Ben would whip out that big grin of his, breath in,
and talk away like there was no worry in the world, and to Willy, there wasn't at that period of
time. The saddest song in the play though would be the teary sound of the flute at Willy's funeral.
Starting out a bit cheerful, the tune fades from a major key to a minor key, hence going from a
merry sound to one of sadness and

Symbolism In Arthur Miller's Death Of A Salesman
Thomas Edison, an American inventor and businessman, says, "There is no substitute for hard
work." In other words, Thomas Edison believes individuals cannot cheat the process of success to
get to the top, they must work for it. In the play, "Death of a Salesman," the author, Arthur Miller,
uses the narrative techniques of imagery, motifs, and symbolism to show how success and social
acceptance can be deceptive for Willy Loman and his family. Willy Loman is a troubled,
self–defrauding travelling salesman. He genuinely believes in the American Dream of easy success
and prosperous wealth, but he cannot achieve it. Neither can his sons fulfill their dreams which
Willy feels is a reflection on himself and his parenting skills and the values he...show more content...
And banners over the ring and the basketball court: Loman Brothers.'' Again, the image is in the
center around gaining public attention rather than on quality products or athletic achievement.
Happy also lies to the glamorous and attractive Miss Forsythe: "Biff is quarterback with the New
York Giants" to get her attention. Other images that are significant in the play are the houses and
gardens.The images of houses and gardens have considerable symbolic significance in the play. For
Willy, they are not merely places to live or to sustain life: they stand for the legacy of beauty,
abundance, and self–reliance that he wants to leave behind. Willy and Linda have almost paid off
their twenty–five–year mortgage, and Willy is proud that "there ain't a crack to be found" in the
house after his years of painstaking repairs. Owning their home distinguishes the Loman's as
permanent residents in a neighborhood of apartment renters. Willy hopes to leave the house to Biff
one day so that his hard–earned mortgage payments and repairs will not go to waste on strangers. He
also reminisces about the elm trees and the lilac, wisteria, peonies, and daffodils that grew nearby
before the construction of the apartment buildings: "Remember those two beautiful elm trees out
there?" These evoke notions of beauty and plentiful growth. More specifically, elm trees are to typify
inner strength and intuition. Lilacs stand for innocence and self–assurance; wisteria

Symbolism In Arthur Miller's Death Of A Salesman
Arthur Miller's "Death of a Salesman" takes place in New York City in the late 1940's. This play
chronicles the life of Willy Loman, who often reflects upon his life and the decisions he has made.
Miller characterizes Willy as guilt–stricken by his decisions and driven for his children to achieve
wealth and success through the use of symbolism, idioms, and similes.
Miller uses symbolism to develop dimensions of Willy's character. During one of his flashbacks,
Willy remembers his affair with a woman. He gives the woman a gift of stockings. When he returns
to current day, he tells Linda that he "won't have" her "mending stockings" because the stockings
remind him of his transgression (195). These stockings symbolize Willy's lust and...show more
content...
Willy refutes this as he believes Biff possesses the qualities to achieve the wealth that he has not
achieved. Biff and Happy chat about their future plans. Biff knows that his father "thought the world
of him" (185). Willy desires the best for his sons and attempts to inflict his ideas of his version of
success upon them. The author uses idioms to create a deeper understanding of Willy's character.
Miller leverages similes which compare varying concepts to enrich Willy's traits. Willy and Bernard,
Charley's son, visit and reminisce. In Willy's eyes, Bernard has accomplished much, and he
compares him to Biff. Bernard questions Willy about why Biff did not attend summer school to
make up his failing grade. Willy indicates "that question has been trailing" him "like a ghost for
the last fifteen years"(239). Biff's decision has haunted Willy and made him feel guilty and
responsible for Biff's lack of motivation. Willy's relationship with his sons, Happy and Biff, has
suffered through the years. Linda discusses Willy's health with her two sons. When the boys
criticize Willy's choices, Linda reminds them that "he's not allowed to fall into his grave like an
old dog" (209). She wants her sons to recognize the meaning and value of Willy's life. She believes
that he does not deserve the treatment that he receives from his own sons. Willy becomes excited
after hearing Biff and Happy's future plans. He provides

Death Of A Salesman Symbolism Analysis
Symbols in "Death of a Salesman" by Arthur Miller
Symbolism, as defined by Oxford Dictionary, is the "use of symbols to represent ideas or qualities."
Throughout the play Death of a Salesman, by Arthur Miller, he uses symbols to represent a greater
idea and to say more than what is actually being said. Through the use of silk stockings, a rubber
hose, and the flute music that drifts through the play, Miller demonstrates the power that these items
have over the Loman family.
One reoccurring symbol throughout the story was the silk stockings. The silk stockings are
representative of Willys Shame, guilt, and infidelities. Throughout the story, Willy scolds Linda for
mending her stockings. Willy says, "What's that?" Linda replies, "Just...show more content...
She says to her sons, "I was looking for a fuse. The lights blew out, and I went down to the cellar.
And behind the fuse box– it happened to fall out– was a length of rubber pipe–just short"(1455).
Linda is ashamed that she cannot bring herself to confront Willy about the hose. She says, "How
can I mention it to him? Everyday I go down and take away that little rubber pipe. But, when he
comes home, I put it back where it was. How can I insulate him that way?"(1456). The hose
represents all of the lies and deception that has been taking place between the members of Loman
family .Linda refuses to accept that Willy would ever kill himself. When Biff tells her that he got
rid of the pipe, she is relieved but also saddened by the fact that Willy did not remove it himself.
L.M. Domina, author of "Overview in Death of a Salesman writes, "This inability to acknowledge
the truth affects the family on many levels but most particularly in terms of their intimacy with
one another and their intimate relationships with others."Biff brings the hose out onto the kitchen
table in an attempt to bring the truth to the light. Willy tries to pretend he doesn't know what it
is. Biff has grown tired of being blamed for their family's lack of success. He realizes that he wants
to follow his own dreams, he tells his father, "Will you let me go, for Christ's sake? Will you take
that phony dream and burn it before something happens?" (1495) The rubber hose serves as a
symbol of all the secrets

The phrase, "There is more than meets the eye" presents an idea that heavily applies to literature.
Observing or reading without purpose only provides a general understanding, but with the purpose
of looking for motifs and ,more importantly, symbols a true understanding can be found. Symbols,
whether they play a large or small role in a literary work, add to the understanding the reader takes
from the work. In the novel Metamorphosis and the play Death of a Salesman, symbols are abundant
throughout and each serves to give insight and clarify themes that are present. The play and novel
both share symbolism that clarifies themes in the novel and provide an understanding of the actions
characters make in both works. The meaning behind actions...show more content...
The symbol serves to foreshadow a relationship that appears later in the play between Willy and
his father, who was a flute maker. It can also be observed that when the flute is being played it is
noted to be in the distance which can also be used to symbolize the position Willy's father had in
his childhood. This position exists because Willy's father left to go to Alaska as inferred by
Willy's brother, Ben, statement, "I was going to find Father in Alaska."(Miller 33). The faint
playing of the flute also symbolizes the weak connection that Willy had with his father as well.
With this knowledge, the actions that Willy makes throughout the course of the play now
understandable. By knowing what the flute stands for it is apparent that Willy wishes to be unlike
his father by being a good father and having a presence in his children's lives. Willy's desire to be a
good father is shown in his astonishment is his line, "Isn't that – isn't that remarkable? Biff– he likes
me!"(Miller 99).He desire is additionally shown with his anger at Biff for not having a high–paying
job and his insistent pushing for Biff to visit Bill Olivier for a deal. Though the flute can be
viewed as a stylistic device and even a motif, it serves as a symbol that foreshadows and gives
insight to the actions characters take in the

Death Of A Salesman Memory Analysis
Memories tend to come and go when something in the present, such as sight or sound, triggers us to
recall to the past. In the tragedy, Death of A Salesman by Arthur Miller, the protagonist Willy Loman
retreats to memories of both happy and sad times. These flashbacks are related to the present in
which the background knowledge help readers understand the present–day problems of the Loman
family. His interaction with the past interferes with what is happening in the present. Willy mentally
lives in the present with the memories and events of the past. In comparison to Willy, I tend to relate
a significant memory that stands out in my memory with my present situations.
An example of Willy's happy memory is the conversations with his older brother, Ben, who played
a father figure for Willy. Willy idolizes Ben because he was an adventurous, successful young man
who found diamonds in the jungles of Africa and became rich. Despite failing at being a salesman,
he finds his success through his eldest son, Biff. Willy lives vicariously through Biff and his peak
of happiness is Biff's senior year. When Willy found out...show more content...
We were guided through a soybean crop and the plantation owner even allowed us to pick some
of our own. As my parents were picking soybean, I immediately left and went on an adventure of
my own. Wandering around the plantation I found myself walking through a path that led me to
a remote village. Their poorly constructed homes were made on stilts of bamboo and wood. Most
of the kids were covered in a single cloth, had no shoes, and were abnormally skinny. It was a
heartbreaking sight that I will never get over. I knew at that moment, I was lost. Not just in the
village, but in me too. Who was I? Why was I selfish and ungrateful? Had I always been like this?
Questions like these clouded my mind on the flight home and sadness filled my

Death Of A Salesman Symbolism Essay

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Death Of A Salesman Symbolism Essay