Death of a Salesman; Symbolism Analysis
The symbolism in his 1949 masterpiece Death of a Salesman, however, is usually thought to be unparalleled in any of his other works. Throughout the play, Miller leaves puzzle pieces that slowly begin to come together as the audience [or reader] progresses through the play. While individually each piece may just look odd, together they form a story, a bigger picture that eventually ties together the entire play. While at times this symbolism can seem obscure and irrelevant, everything comes together and makes perfect sense by the time Miller is done with Willy Loman’s life. In the beginning of the play, things such as Willy yelling at Linda for mending a pair of stockings (Miller, pg 26) may seem abusive or unnecessary, but by the end have developed into key plot-points. Though the play only seems to span two or three days, at most, the reader [or audience] learns of Willy Loman’s entire life in that time through a series of flashbacks and puzzle pieces. Such is the subtlety of Miller’s symbolism. Within Death of a Salesman, Miller uses a rubber pipe, diamonds, seeds and stockings to emphasize the main characters wish for death, wealth, rebirth and the loss of familial respect and love. Miller’s use of a rubber pipe is both ironic and perfect considering the situation Willy Loman is found in through out the progression of the play. Though it may seem, to the readers in the new millennium, to be nothing more than a rubber pipe, this stage prop was meant to remind the audience and readers of William Loman’s desperate and pathetic attempts at suicide in the recent months.