Symbolism In Death Of A Salesman By Arthur Miller

Symbolism, as defined by Oxford Dictionary, is the â€Å"use of symbols to represent ideas or qualities.† Throughout the play Death of a Salesman, by Arthur Miller, he uses symbols to represent a greater idea and to say more than what is actually being said. Through the use of stockings, a rubber hose,a tape recorder, and seeds, Miller demonstrates the power that these items have over the Loman family. The symbols of materialism do not work satisfy the Loman family but instead create additional problems. One reoccurring symbol throughout the story was the silk stockings. The silk stockings are representative of Willys Shame, guilt, and infidelities. Throughout the story, Willy scolds Linda for mending her stockings. Willy says, â€Å"What’s that?†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦show more content†¦Willy inted on inhaling gas from the water heater as a means of suicide. Linda becomes petrified when she finds the rubber hose behind the water heater. She says to her sons, I was looking for a fuse. The lights blew out, and I went down to the cellar. And behind the fuse box- it happened to fall out- was a length of rubber pipe-just short†(1455). Linda is ashamed that she cannot bring herself to confront Willy about the hose. She says, â€Å"How can I mention it to him? Everyday I go down and take away that little rubber pipe. But, when he comes home, I put it back where it was. How can I insulate him that way?†(1456). The hose represents all of the lies and deception that has been t aking place between the members of Loman family .Linda refuses to accept that Willy would ever kill himself. When Biff tells her that he got rid of the pipe, she is relieved but also saddened by the fact that Willy did not remove it himself. L.M. Domina, author of â€Å"Overview in Death of a Salesman writes, â€Å"This inability to acknowledge the truth affects the family on many levels but most particularly in terms of their intimacy with one another and their intimate relationships with others.† Biff brings the hose out onto the kitchen table in an attempt to bring the truth to the light. In this pivotal moment in the play, Biff addresses the whole family when he says, â€Å"We never told the truth forShow MoreRelatedDeath Of A Salesman By Arthur Miller964 Words   |  4 PagesArthur Miller, the author of the play Death of as salesman and many others, was born in New York in the year 1915. He later attended the University of Michigan which is where he started writing pl ays. He wrote many plays such as The Last Yankee, and Broken Glass. Miller died in the year 2005. The play Death of a salesman was written in 1949, the year of American largest economic expansion. 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