Death Of A Salesman: Symbols :: essays research papers

Death of a Salesman SymbolsMany symbols be incorporated into the play "Death of a Sales man" and they inturn relate to both character and theme. The irrigate, tape recorder and the seedsare some of these symbols.The hose in Millers drama directly relates to the theme of d eath. The hose isa line attached to the gas main in Willys house which allows him to snif f thegas. This action can be seen as Willys suicide wish, and escape from therealities of life. As seen in the loss of his job and his failure to succeed.The hose also represents grief and deception. For when Linda, Willys wife,finds the hose, she is distraught over its in tended purpose. The deceptive reputation of the hose is apparent when Willy is confronted about it by Biff his sonand Willy denies its existence. A similar denial is also evident when Willy isconfronted with the tape recorder in Howards office.The tape recorder signifies the change in Willys life throug h the progressof technology. It also repre sents the end of Willys career. This is broughtabout when Howard, Willys boss and godson, shows the tape recorder to Willy andappe ars to be more interested in the sound and technology of the machine instead of Willy, who i s fighting for his job. Howard no longer need s Willysservices and without concern fires him. This , to Willy, was like, "eating theorange and throwing away the peel". However, Willy is partly to blame, as hedoes not accept change and wants to remain in the pas t. This is foreshadowed inthe scene where Willy is left alone with the tape recorder and is unable(p) to shutit off. Willy believes in using his old techniques and style to succeed.Nevertheless, in his job, it is not what you know, but it is who you know. Willyis not up to date with the business nor technology. Yet, Willy still has hope,and wishes to bestow some fo rm of support behind for his family as illustratedin his position of the seeds.Willy feels that he must leave something behind some thing for Biff. In Willysimaginary military personnel he wants Biff to be magnificent and he symbolically plants seedsin his garden. In spite of such an action he is doomed to fail. Willy sta rts lay the seeds at night, but at night there is no solarize shining and this seems