What are the motifs in Death of a Salesman?
Motifs are recurring elements within Death of a Salesman that support the central themes of the play. Mythic figures and being ‘well liked’ are two motifs in Death of a Salesman used by Arthur Miller to form a critique on the reality of the American Dream as it is explored by Willy and Biff Loman.
How does the flute motif influence Death of a Salesman?
The flute is also associated with Pan from Greek mythology. Whenever flute music plays in Death of a Salesman, it reminds Willy of a life he could have lived, one modeled after his wilderness-man father who makes the flutes he sold.
How do you explain a motif?
A motif is a literary term that is an idea, object, or concept that repeats itself throughout a text. A motif gives clues to theme or reinforces ideas an author wants to emphasize. A motif generally reinforces the theme of the text.
What do diamonds symbolize in Death of a Salesman?
Diamonds. To Willy, diamonds represent tangible wealth and, hence, both validation of one’s labor (and life) and the ability to pass material goods on to one’s offspring, two things that Willy desperately craves. Correlatively, diamonds, the discovery of which made Ben a fortune, symbolize Willy’s failure as a salesman …
What does the flute represent?
The ethereal, pure and poetic sound of the flute is inextricably linked with mythical or spiritual figures and with death. A further aspect of the flute’s symbolism is its portrayal of nature and rural life. This symbolism arose due to the instrument’s sound characteristics and is of onomatopoeic nature.
What does the flute symbolize in literature?
What are motifs in music?
In music, a motif (pronunciation) (help·info) IPA: (/moʊˈtiːf/) (also motive) is a short musical phrase, a salient recurring figure, musical fragment or succession of notes that has some special importance in or is characteristic of a composition: “The motive is the smallest structural unit possessing thematic identity …
How do you write a motif essay?
Most motif papers are short, and the basic five-paragraph essay will give you plenty of space to prove your thesis. In this format, you write an introduction paragraph, then three paragraphs each with a different example of the motif and its significance, and a concluding paragraph.
What do silk stockings symbolize in the play?
The beautiful and delicate pair of silk stockings that Mrs. Sommers finds while shopping carry several levels of symbolic significance. In one sense, the stockings symbolize Mrs. Sommers’s repressed desires—the desire to feel beautiful, the desire to belong, and the desire to escape her miserable and mundane existence.
What do musical instruments symbolize?
The trumpet, trombone, and other brass instruments represent excitement and energy. The violin and other string instruments represent cold, sadness, tranquility, sympathy, fragility, and joy (Vivaldi’s “Spring” for instance).
What do the diamonds symbolize in Death of a Salesman?
What does clarinet symbolize?
The whistling of a flute connotes sexual invitation, while vibration, represented by such instruments as the local clarinet and the bull-roarer, symbolizes a warning or threat.