Eudora Welty's short story "Death of a Traveling Salesman" is a poignant tale about the lonely life of a salesman and the enduring power of love and human connection.
The story follows the character of Mr. Hightower, a traveling salesman who has spent most of his life on the road. Despite the constant traveling, Mr. Hightower has remained a solitary figure, never forming any close relationships or connections with the people he encounters.
As the story begins, Mr. Hightower is on his way home after a long stint on the road. Despite the fact that he is tired and sick, he is determined to make it home in time for Christmas. Along the way, he meets a kind young couple who offer to give him a ride and provide him with some much-needed companionship.
As they travel together, Mr. Hightower begins to open up to the couple and share stories of his life on the road. It becomes clear that Mr. Hightower has led a lonely existence, never staying in one place long enough to form any lasting relationships.
Despite this, Mr. Hightower remains optimistic and hopeful that he will find love and connection in his life. He tells the couple about his dream of settling down and starting a family, and it is clear that he longs for the warmth and security of a home and a loved one.
Tragically, Mr. Hightower does not make it home in time for Christmas. He dies on the road, far from the family and loved ones he had hoped to see. Despite his death, however, the story ends on a hopeful note as the young couple decides to name their newborn son after Mr. Hightower, honoring the impact he had on their lives and the lasting influence he had on their hearts.
Through the character of Mr. Hightower, Welty explores themes of loneliness, longing, and the enduring power of love and connection. Despite a lifetime of solitude and isolation, Mr. Hightower is able to touch the lives of the young couple in a profound way, leaving a lasting legacy despite his untimely death. In this way, Welty reminds us of the importance of forming deep, meaningful relationships with others and the transformative power of love and connection.
Read Eudora Welty’s short story “The Death of a Traveling Salesman”
Neighbor Rosicky, in contrast, explores the antithesis: a life lived without regard to material goods, in which happiness is achieved through family life despite poverty. She is a big woman, still and slow-moving; Bowman estimates her age to be about fifty. The second date is today's date — the date you are citing the material. . This was only a cow trail. While both stories ultimately agree that materialism is a direct source of disconnect, leading to isolation and alienation, only Death of a Traveling Salesman negotiates the consequences of materialism and the absence of social, particularly familial, bond as a result of inaction and the inability to communicate.
Death of a Traveling Salesman Summary
Notes are narrower in scope and focus on a single, often provocative, issue of definition, interpretation, or amplication. The quiet bond between them contrasts with his own memories of indistinguishable women and faded hotel rooms. He could not move; there was nothing he could do, unless perhaps he might embrace this woman who sat there growing old and shapeless before him. He interprets his pounding heart as a protest against the lack of love in his life, as a plea that his empty heart should be filled with love. He was shocked with knowing what was really in this house. He is able to get out before the car topples over. Essays are interpretive, speculative, or polemic.
Using "Death of A Traveling Salesman," what are some good topics to write about and discuss?
However, he feels in the depth of his core that, perhaps, life could have just been different if he had given himself the chance to consider other options on how to live it. By midday, he has lost his accustomed road, and finds to his horror that he has driven his car to the edge of a ravine. How had he ever come to such a place? Bowman is a man who has dedicated himself entirely to his career. It was a long day! Committed to the art of editorial practice, the Review collaborates with authors of essays, stories, poems, and reviews in pursuit of works of enduring appeal that engage with the evolving concerns and interests of readers from around the world. Although Bowman is superficially more sophisticated and knowledgeable than Sonny and his wife, their lives have a meaning his has been denied. The citation above will include either 2 or 3 dates.
