“Nothing’s planted. I don't have a thing in the ground.” Was Willy just talking about planting a garden?
In Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman, Willy reference to planting seeds its not only talking about a garden but also represents a metaphorical meaning behind it. Gardening is a metaphor for success and failure of Willy’s profession as a salesman, even though his roots are sales.
In the play, Willy talks to Stanley about buying seeds to plant backyard because he does not have ‘a thing in the ground’. Gardening brings fertility to the futility of Willy’s life. He now realises that he has no tangible proof of his life’s work. “Tell me – is there a seed store in the neighbourhood?” shows the urgency in his life to achieve something with his life.
