Who Is Willy's Infidelity In Death Of A Salesman

Arthur Miller is recognized as an important and influential playwright, not to mention essayist and novelist. Although he has had plenty of luck in his writing career, his fame is the product of his ingenious ability to control what he wants his readers to picture or feel. As one of his critics states, "Miller writes ingeniously, conveying the message that ‘if the proper study of mankind is man, man's inescapable problem is himself (Brown, 306).'" Miller accurately puts into words what every person thinks, feels, or worries about, but often has trouble expressing. By the use of symbolism, Arthur Miller portrays Willy's (along with the other Lowmans') problems with family life, the society, and himself in Death of a Salesman.
After this point in the play, Biff no longer tries to be "successful" like his father. A symbol that also relates to Willy's infidelity is the stockings. Because he gives the stocking that are meant for Linda to his mistress, they become a symbol of his infidelity. Every time Willy sees Linda humbly mending her old, torn stockings, he feels guilty for what he's done; therefore, the stockings are also a sign of his guilt and her humbleness. One of the largest symbols relating to family worries is the mortgage on their house. In the requiem, Linda says, "…I made the last payment on the house today. Today, dear. And there'll be nobody home (Miller, 139)." The house symbolizes Willy and Linda's 35-year struggle to own their own home and how ironic it is because as soon as the mortgage Willy worked so hard for is finally paid off, no one is left to live in their beloved house. Miller skillfully uses these symbols to help the reader understand in depth the conflicts within the Loman
Miller uses various symbols in the play to expand on Willy's role. One of the first symbols readers encounter is the flute music. The music shows the transitions from past to present (and vice versa) in Willy's mind. Furthermore, the music also represents an unknown musical father; Willy can't quite remember him, but he wants and is in need of his guidance (Dusenbury, 317). Next, the car stands as a symbol. At first, it is Willy's transportation for work as a traveling salesman; however, it comes to be Willy's mode of killing himself later on in the story. A similar symbol is the tubing that Linda and Biff find in the basement. Early on in the