Quote & Question for "Death of a Salesman"

1. What is the significance of the symbol of the stocking in this scene? Is there any significance in the stockings being related to the two women in Willy's life?

*The woman talking to Willy*
THE WOMAN: You just kill me, Willy. You kill me. And thanks for the stockings. I have a lot of stockings. Well, good night.

(later on)

(Linda is sitting where she was at the kitchen table, but now is mending a pair of silk stockings.)

LINDA: Just mending my stockings. They're so expensive...
WILLY: I won't have you mending stockings in this house! Now throw them out! (25).

Dear Journal,

For my New Year’s Walk, I went to the cove by my house. I sat on the beach, as well as walked the trail from my house down there. I saw that so many of the trees were bare, and I realized how cold it was. I went down there in the late afternoon. I also saw that the sun set a little later than usual, just by a couple minutes, but not as early as it was a week ago. Winter was very apparent down at the cove since there were no bright flowers or blooming trees. I understood though that soon spring would come, and the seasons would begin to change all over again. I know it will all happen so fast.

      This New Year’s I reflected on how fast time goes. It’s already 2016 and I’m really not sure how that happened. It’s pretty crazy to me that just a day ago was 2015 and now I have been plunged into the year I have always been waiting for--my graduating year. My nature walk reminded me that things change. There is always another season around the corner, making change inevitable. I’ve never been someone who enjoys change, so the many new and different changes coming ahead in the new year make me a little anxious. Not because I’m nervous or anything, just because I like how things are. I don’t want things to change. With this mindset, I thought about what I saw on my walk to the cove. If everything stayed the same, it would be winter forever. The sun would never stay up past 6pm, the birds would never come back after leaving for winter, Christmas would get annoying since it would be Christmas 24/7, you could never wear shorts because it would be too cold, and where I live would be pretty ugly since nothing new and green would grow. I realized that although change is inevitable and I sometimes wish it wouldn’t come, it isn’t always bad. Sometimes no change makes things boring and has us wishing for a change.

Although 2016 is full of changes, I am going to approach it with a sense of excitement of what’s to come. Although I do wish things could sometimes stay the same, I am so very ready for the change ahead, just like the trees will be so ready for some blossoming leaves and flowers in the months to come. And although I’m sad Christmas is over, and I’ll be returning to school way too soon, I have to keep in mind that I must get through this to get to the change. If I went straight into the next “season of life,” I would be far from ready. So I have to power through for now, and work my way to the coming changes and new seasons of life. The nature I saw during my walk only reflected this idea.

 So, as I sit and write this after coming back from my chilly walk, I feel more optimistic and excited for the future. I’m ready to work hard for now so that I will be ready for the new, coming seasons.