Death Of A Salesman Dream

Death of a Salesman, by Arthur Miller, is a play that serves as a testament to the impossibility of fulfilling the American definition of success. Willy Loman, a failed, middle aged, businessman, struggles with his personal guilt and internal disappointment to the point of finding a solution in suicide. Symbolizing how success is unattainable while maintaining happiness, the motif of seeds mirrors Willy’s longing for a different life. Seized by the conforms of society’s expectations, Willy and his sons, Happy and Biff, suffer in individual silence, unable to pursue rugged futures in the “outdoors” (22). Moreover, Willy’s final request is to “get some seeds” (122), and though this could express Willy’s craving for nature, in reality, Willy realizes how he does not have a true legacy and requires security in his children’s
Throughout Death of a Salesman, seeds epitomize the Lomans’ lost dreams, desire for masculinity, nature, and a new beginning, as well as Willy’s need for a successful, fruitful legacy.
Willy, Biff, and Happy are all similarly trapped in the idea that success is only achievable through a nine-to-five, status-quo office job; although their personalities vary immensely from each other, the male Lomans all have dreams that they do not allow themselves to follow. Nearly impossible, American success is accumulating money, having an acclaimed reputation as an individual, while maintaining a stable, happy family. Despite the unattainability, all Americans, the Lomans included, strive for this insurmountable goal. Happy Loman, Willy’s youngest son, distinguishes himself as a successful business associate in the making.