Death of a Salesman: Exploring Symbolism in American Drama

This essay analyzes the symbolism in Arthur Miller's 'Death of a Salesman,' focusing on how the play critiques the American Dream through the character of Willy Loman. The essay examines key symbols like seeds, stockings, the jungle, and diamonds, and how they represent Willy's failures, illusions, and the pursuit of material wealth. It explores Willy's relationships with his sons, Biff and Happy, and his affair, highlighting the themes of disillusionment and the consequences of chasing an unattainable ideal. The essay emphasizes the importance of these symbols in portraying Willy's tragic downfall and the societal pressures that contribute to his demise. The analysis also considers the irony in the characters' names and their inability to find happiness, illustrating the play's commentary on the superficiality of the American Dream and the importance of accepting reality. The essay concludes by underscoring the play's relevance to the themes of urbanization, materialism and the pursuit of wealth and success.

Assignment 1:
Assignment 2:
Essay outline
Illusions are one of the most important parts of all the literary pieces produced in
the history of America drama. Illusion is a very commonly used literary device that
makes the reader to imagine or think about how something looks like. There are many
illusions in the American drama Death of the Salesman by Arthur Miller. There are many
different symbols in this work like stockings, seeds and also the jungle and diamond.
Willy lowan was a salesman who used to lead his life in the complete illusion. This is
because he wanted to gain material wealth and happiness in life.

He was never happy with his sons Biff and Happy. The symbol of seeds is
really important in this play. This is because Willy considers himself as a failure. He
says that he has tried to plant the seeds with all hard work and effort so that he could
reap the good fruits out of it. However this is futile as the seeds or both his sons have
not been able to gain any success in life and also do not accept Willy as a good father.
Therefore once again he is trying to make a new garden by planting new vegetable
seeds so that something good remains after his death. He wants to keep some riches
for his sons so that it could help them and the family after Willy is gone.
Willy’s affair with another woman shows that he was also not an ideal husband.
On one hand he used to accuse his son Happy for being a womanizer but after his sons
catch him rendered that is with another woman inside a hotel, he is even degraded to a
below level. In the similar context stockings is also a good and powerful symbol that
has been used in this work which talks about the inability and irresponsibility of
Willey to provide for his family.
Jungle and the diamonds are also good symbols that are used in this play.
Jungle represents the darkness or risk and diamonds are the ruches or fortune derived
out of hat risk. Jungle is like the dark place or the risk that Willey is about to take in
order to leave behind a good amount of riches for his sons. Diamond is the materialistic
wealth that will help the family to get rich quickly. He is going into the jungle for getting
the diamonds for supporting his family later. Willy, the Salesman, committed suicide as
he realized that he was a failure; his family is suffering because of him. He finished his
life so that the insurance money could reach his son and he can start a new business

Assignment 3:
Death of Salesman Symbolism
This drama was composed in the year 1949 against the background of urbanization and
materialism. People were mad after material wealth, and they were in the insane pursuit
of the same. Seeds represent a symbol of Willey’s lost attempts and also his struggle
Willey tries to leave behind a rich legacy after his death. In other words he is trying to
plan the vegetable seeds in the garden which shows that he is hoping for some useful
and some rich fruits to come out after his death so that this could provide financial
stability to his sons (Summaries 2019).
Stockings have been use as a powerful symbol which shows the illicit love affair
that he had with the unnamed lady. However it must be noted that Willey doesn’t’ give
the pair of stockings to his wife Linda but gives them to the unnamed lady instead. On
the other hand he is also seen shouting at his wife Linda asking her to mend the lady’s
stockings in front of him. This shows that Willey is a great failure not only as a father but
also as a husband and is not being able to provide for his wife and his family.A reminder
of Willy's affair also shows him as someone who has one under the bad or the negative
influences.Wiley's whole family, including his two sons, went under the influence of the
illusion of material happiness. Happy was financially stable as he was working as a
clerk, but still, he could not find joy in life as he was a womanizer and was always busy
in woman stocking.
Jungle and diamonds also have a great significance. Diamonds is symbolic of
good fortune that Willey is trying to leave behind after his death for supporting his

family. Jungle over here symbolises the risk. This is the psychological risk as the dark
jungle is filled with the diamonds. This is symbolizing that Willey is going into then dark
jungle or is about to take the risk in search of diamonds. Willy commits suicide, thinking
that the insurance many will perhaps help his so Biff to set up a new business and lead
a settled, happy life.

References
Summaries, B., 2019. Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller (Book Analysis): Detailed Summary,
Analysis and Reading Guide. BrightSummaries.com