Symbols Flashcards
What represents the material success Willy has aspired to but never achieved?
- Uncle Ben
- distant locations such as Africa and Alaska
What do the distant locations symbolise?
Freedom and opportunity in contrast to the confinement of New York
What do the stockings symbolise?
- Willy’s betrayal and deception
- central rift between Biff and Willy
What do the seeds symbolise?
- Willy’s longing for nature; something he cannot attain in his urban environment
- his constant desire to grow
How do the seeds symbolise his desperate effort to become successful?
A delusional Willy planting seeds in the backyard
How does Willy’s character come in contrast to seeds?
Failure at raising his own son, similar to his failure to grow a garden without sunlight
What does the play begin and end with?
The flute melody.
What does the flute melody signify to the audience?
That the past is about to overtake the present.
What does the flute represent?
Represents a profoundly sad symbol of Willy’s nostalgia
What are the combination of senses the flute reveals?
Mixed sense of abandonment with fatherhood
