Discussion Topic
Important quotes and motifs in Death of a Salesman
Summary:
Important quotes in Death of a Salesman include Willy Loman's declaration, "I am not a dime a dozen! I am Willy Loman," which underscores his struggle with self-worth. Motifs such as the American Dream, represented by Willy's relentless pursuit of success, and abandonment, highlighted by his father's and brother's departures, are central to understanding the characters and themes.
What are some motifs in Act 2 of Death of a Salesman?
One of the important motifs in this play that the audience is introduced to straight away at the beginning of Act II is Willy's constant desire to buy seeds and try and plant them to grow some vegetables. Throughout the play at various points, his desire to buy seeds and his attempts to grow vegetables in his back yard is used as a signifier of how he feels his life is. At the beginning of Act II, he feels full of hope due to Biff's plan to go to Bill Oliver and ask to go into business with him, and thus his plan to buy seeds reflects this optimism. Seeds generally in the play represent his hopes (or lack of them) for the future, and also his failure as a father and as a businessman. He recognises that he has nothing to leave his children--no lasting, enduring legacy--and his constant...
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reference to seeds reflects this. However, at this point in the play, Willy's desire to buy seeds is part of his hope that things are turning a corner. Note what he says to Linda:
Gee, on the way home tonight I'd like to buy some seeds... You wait, kid, before it's all over we're gonna get a little place out in the country, and I'll raise some vegetables, a couple of chickens...
Seeds therefore are used as a kind of barometer about Willy's state of will, and here are used to represent hope in a better future, in comparison with their usage in other parts of the play, where they represent Willy's crushing realisation that he is a failure and he will leave no legacy to his children.
What are some important quotes from Death of a Salesman?
Arthur Miller'sDeath of a Salesman is packed full of memorable quotes, many of which are vital to the full understanding of the play and its themes. This answer will show two examples.
LINDA: Willy, dear. Talk to them again. There’s no reason why you can’t work in New York.
WILLY: They don’t need me in New York. I’m the New England man. I’m vital in New England. (Act 1)
In the beginning, Willy is still focused on his worth as a salesman in New England. However, he is not thinking long-term, nor is he thinking about how he is actually failing in his job. Instead, he is holding on to a rose-colored memory of his best years and refusing to recognize that his successes as a salesman are behind him. Had he considered moving his operations to New York, he might have found new self-worth in a useful position.
WILLY: I've got to get some seeds. I've got to get some seeds, right away. Nothing’s planted. I don’t have a thing in the ground.
Here, near the end of the play, Willy is still refusing to recognize his failure as a salesman and as a father, and yet inside he knows that he is not leaving anything of worth behind. He has "nothing planted," either in his family or as a legacy. He knows that it is still possible to leave some sort of positive mark, but he cannot understand what, or how.