Symbols In Death Of A Salesman Essay

Arthur Miller uses many symbols in his play, Death Of A Salesman to help enhance and strengthen the themes he portraits in the novel. The stockings, seeds, and diamonds mentioned throughout the play help add stability to the themes of betrayal (stockings), failure (seeds), and the american dream (diamonds). The diamonds symbolize wealth and the american dream. Even if the money earned that goes towards ¨the american dream¨ is earned in a bad way. Ben went to the African jungle and basically struck it rich in a dirty, illegal way. He escaped the hard working business world by finding diamonds in the African jungles. Willy gives stocking to the women he had an affair with and always yells at his wife for mending her old pairs of stockings in front of him. They apparently remind Willy of the affair and …show more content…
Mr. Miller uses stockings, seeds, and diamonds as symbols to help strengthen the themes, of betrayal, failure, and the american dream. Willy buys seeds and just throws them on the ground. He doesn't take time to cultivate the seeds and let them grow. Willy gives stocking to the women he had an affair with and always yells at his wife for mending her old pairs of stockings in front of him. They apparently remind Willy of the affair and makes him feel guilty about the affair and how he isn't exactly providing for his family. The diamonds symbolize wealth and the american dream. Even if the money earned that goes towards ¨the american dream¨ is earned in a bad way. Ben escaped the hard working business world by finding diamonds in the African jungles. All three of these symbols help add so much more to the themes mentioned above. Without these symbols, would the themes have been as bold? Arthur Miller is a very talented playwright and these symbols were purposely added to help the reader have a better sense of the themes that he tries to portrait in the