

Even the apartment buildings in his neighborhood are closing in on him and he cannot bear the pressures. The burning woods image is symbolic of Willy’s feeling that everything is closing in on him: time, debts, human relationships. Willy constantly remembers Ben saying “When I was I was seventeen, I walked into the jungle and when I was twenty-one I walked out… And by God I was rich! ” The jungle was the locale of Ben’s success, but for Willy, the forest is burning and there is little time left. ” Willy’s brother Ben made a success of himself early in life and compared the process of success-building to entering a jungle. In terms of imagery, one of the most important is that of “the woods are burning. Happy, in his determination to continue Willy’s action can be seen as the weed in the Loman’s garden. The planting of the seeds is symbolic of Willy’s desire to grow big and tall ironically, Biff is the one who will secure growth in life. He is close to suicide but realizes that he must leave something “real” behind for his sons. At the end of the play, Willy purchases some seeds for his garden and begins to plant them late at night.

He has spent time in prison, and this symbolically represents how he has spent much of his life imprisoned by his father’s mentality. He wishes to get rid of his life-long habit of taking from others (such as the football back in high school). One example that Miller uses often is the stockings which Linda darns and which Willy presents as a gift to Miss Francis. There are examples in almost every scene. Biff discards it in favor of integrity and belief in himself. Death of a Salesmans Symbols & Imagery Symbolism runs throughout Death of a Salesman. Rather, it serves to highlight the absurdity of theft, the demeaning quality of taking from someone something which you do not need.īiff has lived a life based on Willy’s values, but when he discovers that these values are not good for him, he abandons them in search of his own. He has no need for the pen, nor is it meaningful in any conscious manner. The fountain pen that Biff steals is symbolic of Biff’s inadequacies. It should therefore come as no surprise that Willy consider this vehicle as an instrument with which to kill himself. The car represents power, movement forward, acceleration and mobility – all of which are symbols in Willy’s life of hopelessness, decay, and despair. These “accidents” were perhaps early attempts to commit suicide, but they were definitely attempts to draw attention to his condition. We learn from Linda that Willy has staged several previous car accidents. In this car, Willy, quite literally, is driving himself to death. Willy’s car plays a symbolic role as well. ” Again, the garments represent a bond of integrity and happiness that has been violated. When Biff discovers his father with Miss Francis, he is most angered by the fact that Willy has given her “Mama’s stockings.
SYMBOLS IN DEATH OF A SALESMAN FREE
This action is symbolic of his desire to be free of problems at home and enjoy a life of success and harmony.
