Symbolism in Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman

Arthur Miller's "Death of a Salesman" is a classic piece of American theater that dives deep into the broken promises of the American Dream. It tells the story of Willy Loman, a salesman who's seen better days. Miller fills this play with symbols that help us understand the characters' struggles and the society they live in. In this essay, we're gonna dig into some of those symbols—like seeds, stockings, and a rubber hose—and see how they criticize both the American Dream and modern capitalist life.

Symbolism in Arthur Miller's "Death of a Salesman"

Seeds

Let's talk about those seeds Willy Loman plants in his backyard. They're not just seeds; they're his hopes and dreams for something bigger—like leaving behind a legacy. Willy’s obsessed with these seeds because he wants to grow something meaningful before he's gone. He even says, "I've got to get some seeds. I've got to get some seeds, right away. Nothing’s planted. I don’t have a thing in the ground." This shows how empty he feels about his life and work. But here's the kicker—the urban setting makes planting almost pointless. It's like trying to grow flowers on concrete. Those seeds highlight Willy's struggle and his unreachable dream.

The Stockings

Next up, we got the stockings—a tricky symbol in this play. Willy gives new stockings to his mistress while Linda, his wife, fixes her old ones at home. Awkward, right? The stockings remind us of Willy's betrayal and guilt. They show how he's lost his moral compass big time. When Linda mends her stockings, it's all about sacrifice and love, making Willy look even worse by comparison. Plus, the stockings are also about money problems for the Loman family. Linda fixing them points out their financial struggles and how Willy can't provide for them properly. The symbolism here mixes personal failures with societal pressures that bring Willy down.

The Rubber Hose

Finally, there’s that rubber hose—it’s dark stuff. It represents Willy’s deep despair and thoughts of suicide as a way out from all his failures. The hose is always there, showing how close he is to giving up entirely on his unfulfilled dreams. Biff finds it and confronts Linda—this isn't just Willy's problem anymore; it's tearing their family apart too! Linda knows about it but begs Biff to talk things through with his dad—showing how desperate they've all become under these pressures from society pushing this impossible dream onto them relentlessly! That hose reminds us what chasing after an unrealistic goal can cost—a chilling reality check indeed!

Conclusion

In "Death of a Salesman," Arthur Miller uses these strong symbols—seeds growing nothing but hope; worn-out stockings full o' guilt; dangerous hoses representing despair—to unravel everything complicated 'bout Willy Loman while criticizing America's idea or dream itself! Seeds show futile growth efforts while stocking speak guilt plus financial woes—them together symbolize existential dread inherent within our culture today driven by false aspirations sold daily under guise ‘success’ et cetera… Ain't no wonder why so many folks feel trapped when chasing elusive dreams shaped more through expectations than anything else really achievable long-term without significant sacrifices along way!

References

• Miller, A., & Bigsby, C.W.E.. (2000). The Cambridge Companion to Arthur Miller. Cambridge University Press.
• Bloom, H., ed.. (2007). Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman: Bloom's Modern Critical Interpretations. Chelsea House Publishers.
• Abbotson S.C.W.. (2005). A Student Handbook to the Plays of Arthur Miller: All My Sons, Death of a Salesman, The Crucible, A View from the Bridge... With Commentary on Six Major Plays by Christopher Bigsby and Susan C.W Abbotson. Bloomsbury Academic.
• Krasner D.. (2016). A History of Modern Drama Volume II: 1960-2000. Wiley-Blackwell.
• Cohn R.. (1987). New Essays on Death Of A Salesman. Cambridge University Press.