Death of a Traveling Salesman

by Eudora Welty

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"Death of a Traveling Salesman" charts the inner journey of R. J. Bowman, a shoe company salesman, in the final hours of his life. Stricken by fever and fatigue, Bowman takes refuge in the home of a rural couple, leading to a profound realization about life. Through his interactions with them, he uncovers a hidden wisdom that has eluded him throughout his years on the road.

The Lonely Life of a Salesman

Bowman has spent fourteen solitary years as a traveling salesman, moving from one hotel room to the next with only a sample case of shoes for company. Recently recovering from a severe bout of influenza, he was tended to by a hotel doctor and nurse. Despite his belief in his recovery, his return to work finds him inexplicably exhausted and anxious. By midday, his disorientation leads him to inadvertently drive off his usual route and precariously close to a ravine's edge. Escaping the car just in time, he is astonished when it is caught by entwining vines, lowering it gently to the ground without harm.

A Chance Encounter

Walking towards the nearest house, Bowman's heart races uncontrollably, making even thought and speech a challenge. Once inside the cool confines of the living room, he feels a measure of relief, though the quiet demeanor of the woman of the house unnerves him. A large, deliberate woman, she seems much older than her years. Bowman is reassured when she mentions Sonny, who can help with his car predicament. Indeed, Sonny, with the help of a mule, extricates the car. As Bowman waits with the woman, an unexpected emotion surfaces—a longing for love and connection, a yearning to fill his life's void. He senses these people hold some elusive secret about life's purpose, a secret he desperately wishes to uncover.

Discovering the Truth

Intrigued by the couple's simplicity and guided by his own weariness, Bowman requests to stay the night. Granted permission, he observes more of their lifestyle: they ignite their fires by borrowing a flame from a distant neighbor and create clandestine whiskey, burying it in their yard. During dinner, Bowman is hit by a revelation—the woman is not as old as he thought. She is, in fact, young, the same age as Sonny, and not his mother but his wife. The reasons for her cumbersome movements become apparent—she is pregnant. Bowman is struck by the realization that the couple's profound secret is the fulfillment of a loving marriage.

A Night of Reflection

As Bowman tries to find sleep by the fire later that night, he listens to the myriad sounds of the countryside. Hearing the couple's breathing from the next room, he yearns to swap his life for Sonny’s, to be the father of the unborn child. This overwhelming desire propels him to leave the house and return to his car. But first, he empties his wallet, leaving the money beneath a lamp as a token of gratitude. Racing toward his car, he suddenly feels a violent rupture in his chest, his hand moving instinctively to quiet the internal clamor. Bowman meets his destiny at this moment, marking the end of his life journey.

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