Death of a Salesman

In Death of a Salesman, there are many symbols and themes. The themes in this piece are family destruction, loss of identity, contradiction, and the American Dream. Throughout the entire play, all of these themes are exhibited. One of the main symbols in this play are the stockings. They represent Willy’s guilt throughout the play because he gave them to his mistress when they really belonged to Linda. Every time that Linda is seen with stockings and is mending them, Willy becomes very defensive and tells her to not mend them in front of him. This can be seen as him feeling guilty about his affair and causes the major guilt in his self conscious. Another symbol in the play is the woman herself, she represents temptation and eventual destruction. She tempts Willy by telling him that she chose him and he falls for it. It is her presence that tore the family apart. When Biff discovered her, it sealed the family’s destruction. He shut down because he saw what his father truly was and perhaps that is why he didn’t want to follow in his footsteps as a businessman. The gas pipe that Willy was going to use originally as his suicide attempt represents an escape. Through that pipe, Willy could leave his life for good and let his family live on. When Biff stole it, he took away that door. It also represented hope because Linda was hoping that Willy would move it himself and decide that suicide was not the answer. The seeds that Willy plants at the end of the play also symbolize his wish to grow something that thrives. He wants to grow something that is original and that he has personally had a hand in making. Willy sells things that were manufactured by someone else and perhaps that is the reason that he feels so unfulfilled and doesn’t have the “death of a salesman” like he described earlier in the play. He doesn’t feel that farming and outdoor work is a way to make a living though; that is why he is so disappointed in Biff for wanting to move West and do ranch work. Happy, on the other hand, just wants to make his father proud and wants the kind of attention that Willy gives to Biff. This is why he continues to be a businessman throughout the entire play. The constant memory flashbacks, while confusing, serve an important part throughout the entire play. It gives us insight on why the family is the way they are. The frequent references to his brother, Ben, let us know that he regrets not taking the business deal that he offered him. Near the end of the play, Willy keeps hearing the words “the jungle is dark but full of diamonds”. The jungle symbolizes death and the diamonds represent the insurance that will be given to Biff. This is what makes Willy decide to kill himself because he knows that his son will be given a decent amount of money. In the end, Willy did not die the death of a salesman, or at least not the one he described earlier in the play (specifically page 81). He dies a death that frees his family from the burden of himself. His wife at the end even says “we’re free…”. There are many parallels between Death of a Salesman and The Glass Menagerie. Can you come up with them?