Theme Developed Through Motif In Death Of

A Salesman Essay, Research Paper

Most people find that a reacurrance of theme in a play or nevel can be developed through motif. In the play Death of a Salesman, the main theme of the American Dream is developed through a character’s motif, they are the constand stealing of Biff, the image of the new stockings and the pattern of the Loman’s car. One of the most prevealent problems in the play is Biff’s constant stealing. These events occured many times through the play and they eventually led heart ache and pain. As a child, Biff stole a football from school. Willy, his father never thought anything of it. He just said “he has to practice doesn’t he.” All Willy wanted was for his son to follow the American dream of becomming a famous athlete so he could earn lots of money. Biff wanted to please his father and through his support he felt that he could accomplish anything. As Biff grew older he found himself still aspiring to establish the American Dream. Although it was not for himself anymore it was now for his father. While Biff was in a n office talking to someone he suddenly found himself running down the stairs with a pen in his hand. He had once again stolen something but this time he found out why. All of his life his father enstilled values upon him and he was unable to cope with the pressure of them. Through these events the American dream is recurring because of the constant pressure to fit in and be like the norm. Another example that deals with the American dream and how it effects your motifs is the image of the new stockings. Linda Lowman, Willy’s wife has had the same pair of holey stockings for months and she is constantly repairing those holes. These holes symbolize that the persuance of the American Dream can create pain and misery. As Linda is seen darning her stockins Willy gets very agraveaated because he feels that no wife of his should be doing this. He things he has all the money in the world to buy her new stockings. Although Linda never gets new stockings someone else does. The woman is a woman Willy meets with in Boston. One day while Willy was with her in the hotel Biff decided to pay him a visit. He found them in the room and Willy tried to cover it up. The woman would ont leave she kept yelling “what about my stockings” all she wanted ws her stockings. This was appaling to Biff because these stockings were for his mother. These stockings relate to the American Dream because with the persuit of hapiness comes heartache. The holes in the stockings show the holes in there lives because of thier constant persuit of happiness life will never be what it could of been. The last example that relates to the American Dream and how it is developed through motif is the Lowman’s car. The ownershp of the car was considered a suxuary during the Lowman’s time. while the Lowmans children were younger Willy promised to take them on a bisiness trip with him but this never happened. Willy did not want his children to see that he was unsuccessful in accomplishing the American Dream. In the begining for Willy, his car was a way for him to get away but as he grew older, it was a way for him to escape reality. The car was also a symbol of destruction for Willy. He would tell his family that he crashed the car again but they all new it was done on purpose so he could end his misery. Willy was never successful in accomplishing the American dream and with the help of his car he could end it all. In conclusion, the main development of the American Dream was established through a characters motifs. These motifs lead to the destruction of characters in the play. Through the constant stealing of Biff, the symbolism of the stockings and the pattern of the Lowman’s car, the reader could see the evidence of the theme of the American dream creating motif.