The Death of a Salesman
Throughout life a person may hold ideals that represent a false way of living but this person does not know any other way to live. This lack of knowledge toward life goals will eventually lead to failures in that person's life. In Arthur Miller's play Death of a Salesman, the use of motifs, or reoccurring events, such as the silk stockings, Biff's compulsive stealing, and the idea of being well liked show the Loman families false standards in life that lead to their failures. The silk stockings are a reoccurring event in the book that represents Willy's act of adultery with another women where he promised this woman silk stockings if she would do sexual favors for him. Every time Willy thinks of or is reminded of silk stockings he hears the mocking laugh of the women he cheated with. This laugh illustrates the deep guilt that Willy holds for committing such an act on his sweet wife. When his wife, Linda, is mending the stockings he begs her to stop mending them because his guilt rises each time he sees her struggle. " Will you stop mending stockings? At least while I'm in the house. It gets me nervous. I can't tell you. Please." Knowing that his wife is struggling in life to save money by mending the stockings Willy wis
Biff's stealing shows Willy's inept beliefs. He spent too much time convincing himself he could be a successful salesman, when what he was clear he was skilled at working with his hands. Biff is creating a dishonest vision of the past (like his dad). His lies are convinced enough to become the truth, and he can't remember which version of the story is right. Another motif in the book is the idea but forth by Willy that being well liked in life is all that matters. Also he believed being well liked was all that mattered, when in the end most successful people were disliked. By holding false viewpoints the Loman family was destined for failure, which is what they achieved. hes that she would just buy new ones because he gave the woman free stockings and not didn't give his own wife some. Biff quit working for Bill Oliver because he was accused of stealing a carton of basketballs (which he did), but despite that, Biff believes that Oliver will give him a job. If he'd followed the right dreams, and confronted his abilities in a realistic and honest way, he may not have been a failure, and his life might not have ended this way. Willy, feeling guilty about betraying Linda with adultery, gets anxious and upset any time he sees her mending her silk stockings; stockings were the gift he always gave the Woman when they met. He cheats on Linda, his adoring and supportive wife, with some secretary, so that he has a contact with the buyers in Boston. Throughout book Willy tells Biff and Hap that a well-liked person is a person that moves up in the ladder of success. Willy was clearly wrong about Bernard; he grew up to become a successful lawyer, arguing a case before the Supreme Court, while Willy's sons grew up to become unproductive bums.
Common topics in this essay:
Death Salesman,
Biff Hap,
Bill Oliver,
Bernard Biff,
Boston Willy,
Please Knowing,
,
Vermont Hampshire,
York Jersey,
Willy's Willy,
silk stockings,
biff's compulsive stealing,
compulsive stealing,
mending stockings,
biff's compulsive,
job biff,
lead failures,
reoccurring event,
stop mending,
liked willy,
life failure,
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