Death Of A Salesman Quotes And Analysis

Themes and Motifs

1. Inadequacy: As Biff goes through life, he never actually commits to anything. He never shows his full potential. Biff has had insufficient jobs such as a shipping clerk, a salesman, and a businessman only to discover that life is only a “manner of existence.” He is also an insufficient worker. When Biff worked for Bob Harrison, he would whistle in the elevator like a comedian. A big businessman cannot raise a young man to do a responsible job when he acts that way.
2. Ignorance: While Willy was up one night, Charlie walks in and says that he cannot sleep because he has heartburn. Willy explains to Charlie that if he had taken his vitamins so that he would develop strong bones, he would not be up in the middle
of the night with heartburn. Everyone should know that vitamins and strong bones have nothing to do with heartburn. Willy is also ignorant when he tries to kill himself. As he was driving slowly down the road, he comes to this bridge. He deliberately ran into the railing. If it were not for the fact that the water was shallow, he would have died.
3.
Pride: When Biff is younger, he becomes the star of the football team. He becomes prideful when all of the girls at school begin to follow him around and when his friends begin to give him answers on tests and on homework. Biff thinks that he will not get in trouble for anything that he does. When Biff steals a football from his coach, Willy allows him to get away with it, which was a boost to his pride. Uncle Ben is prideful he is telling the story of his adventure in Africa. He quotes, “ Why, boys, when I was seventeen I walked into the jungle, and when I was twenty one I walked out. And by God I was
rich.”
4. Self -Awareness: At the beginning of Act 1, Willy was traveling back from Yonkers when he suddenly realizes that he is driving off of the shoulder. He completely forgot that he was driving. Most of the time, Willy does not even realize when he begins to talk to himself. He talks at Biff all of the time, but he never actually talks to Biff in real life. Willy walks around having conversations with himself, but he thinks he is talking to someone.
5. Lack of Awareness of Reality: Willy has a hard time distinguishing reality from illusion. He has this belief that a man is worth more dead than alive. Charlie tries to explain that a man is worth nothing if he is dead. Willy also has the illusion that he is well liked and that he is successful in life. When he sees the truth, the reality kills him.
Motifs
1.
The Jungle: The jungle is mentioned many different times during this play. Each time, the jungle is used to mean different things for both Biff and Willy. Both Will’s father and brother found success in the jungle, his father in the Alaskan and his brother in the African. The African and Alaskan jungles bring Willy to the unpleasant reality of his failures. Although Willy’s failures are highlighted, Biff’s potential if recognized. Biff comes to the realization that is more out in the world than working on a farm. Biff begins to see the importance of the individual as a person.
2. The Garden: The garden is one of the most important motifs in the play. At the beginning of the play, Willy states, “ The grass doesn’t grow anymore, you can’t raise a carrot in the backyard.” Willy wanted to leave something behind for others to remember him by; therefore, he attempted to plant seeds in the backyard of his house. During Willy’s life, he had never been successful, so he was hoping that the planting of the seed would become an accomplishment for
him.
3. Moons, Stars: In the play, Willy would often talk about the beauty of the moon and stars. Biff and Willy get into a fight. After the fight, Willy says, “ Gee. Look at the moon moving between the buildings.” The moon and stars symbolize that there is something greater out in the world that is better than the life that they are living.