Critical Analysis of the Death of a Salesman

The Garden in the “Death of a Salesman”

In Arthur Miller’s, Death of a Salesman, many elements stand out in the play and they all lend themselves to a lot of personal interpretation. Willy’s attitude toward life and the way he has raised his sons gives the reader a window into the soul of the lifetime salesman. Willy’s life is quite grey and boring and he is fed up with sales and everything that goes along with it. He hates his job, he is frustrated with his children and he hates where he lives. However, he does not venture out and try any new things and he stays aggravated at his son for striking out and trying innovative jobs. In Act 1, Willy says, “ The grass don’t grow any more, you can’t raise a carrot in the back yard” (1901). Willy longs for life as it used to be but he is unwilling to make adjustments for the way life is currently. Early on the idea of a garden is postulated and it continues to be present until just before Willy takes his own life.

Willy is a broken man that is sixty years old and hates his job. He has been a devoted employee because he