Distant Locations: An Important Motif in Death of a Salesman Essay

One of the major motifs in Death of a Salesman is distant locations. These locations included The American West, Alaska, and the African jungle. These locations represented opportunity, and solutions. The Loman boys are not happy in their present situations, and they believe that these locations would provide, or would have provided, solutions to their problems. This motif occurs several times in the play, and this essay will discuss these occurrences and relate them to each other.

The first time this motif appears is when Happy and Biff are in their bedroom having a discussion. Biff says, Listen, why dont you come out West with me? Biff believes that people like them should be working outside, and he is talking about buying a ranch. He tells Happy that if he came out West with him, hed be happy there. To Biff, the American West represents an opportunity to be happy and to feel fulfilled. Biff is at a point where he feels lost and he is trying to find his way. Happy also seems to feel this way. Biff is trying to convince Happy that the West would provide a better, more fulfilling life.

The second occurrence of this motif is referring to Alaska. Willy asks, Why didnt I go to Alaska with my brother Ben that time? This occurs after Willy has returned home because he couldnt make it past Yonkers. Willy had just had one of his episodes, and Happy had come downstairs to see what was wrong. Happy asks him what brought him back, and Willy tells him about almost hitting a kid in Yonkers. Willy is overwhelmed with stress, and he brings up the opportunity he had in Alaska. Willy believes that if he had gone to Alaska his life would be much better. Alaska represents Willys one big opportunity to be happy. He is regretting that he didnt take it.

The next occurrence of this motif is also about Alaska. Willy is playing cards with Charley and he is also having another one of his episodes where he is seeing Ben. Ben says he must make a train because he has several properties he is looking at in Alaska. Bens death becomes the topic of conversation between Charley and Willy, and Charley suggests to Willy that he might get some of his brothers money. Willy says that Ben has a family of his own, and goes on to say that he only had one opportunity with Ben. Willy tells Charley that if he had gone to Alaska, everything wouldve been different. Willy is again expressing his regret for not going to Alaska. Just as in the previous occurrence of this motif, Willy is referring to the idea that his life wouldve been better if he had gone to Alaska.

The next occurrence of the motif deals primarily with Africa. Willy is in another one of his episodes and is thinking about a time where Ben had come to visit him. Ben is talking about where he went after leaving home. He says he was headed for Alaska, but ended up in Africa. He then goes on to tell Willy about how he walked into the jungle, and when he walked out at twenty-one, he was rich. Willy gets excited about this success story because it represents everything he has been trying to achieve, and he calls his sons in to hear the story. Willy says, You see what I been talking about? The greatest things can happen! Like the other distant locations, Africa represents opportunity and success.

The final occurrence of this motif that will be discussed happens later on in the same memory. Ben is on his way out and Willy asks Ben, How should I teach them? Ben replies with the story of how he walked into the jungle, and walked out rich. Willy is asking Ben how he should teach his boys, because he wants them to be like Ben. He considers Ben to be the pinnacle of success, and adventure. He says that it is just the spirit he wants to imbue his boys with. He wants them to walk into the jungle. Again, the motif is used to represent success and opportunity.

In all of these occurrences, the motif is generally used in the same way. These distant locations represent opportunity, and solutions to the problems that the Loman boys face. Willy, and Biff have different ideas of what success is, and they have different locations to represent their ideas. The West provides a simple life of working outdoors. Alaska and Africa provide riches, and financial success. This is a very important motif in the play because it establishes that success is far away from the Loman Boys.