"I don't have a thing in the ground!" Willy laments after both his sons abandon him in Act 2. The sons he has cultivated with his own values have grown to disappoint him, none of his financial hopes have borne fruit, and he is desperate to have some tangible result of a lifetime of work. By planting vegetable seeds, he is attempting to begin anew. But as Linda gently reminds him, the surrounding buildings don't provide enough light for a garden. Willy's attempt to plant the vegetable seeds at night further reinforces the futility of his efforts.
Seeds Quotes in Death of a Salesman
The Death of a Salesman quotes below all refer to the symbol of Seeds. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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Act 2
Quotes
I've got to get some seeds, right away. Nothing's planted. I don't have a thing in the ground.
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Seeds Symbol Timeline in Death of a Salesman
The timeline below shows where the symbol Seeds appears in Death of a Salesman. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Act 2
...the prospects of the "Florida idea," Willy tells Linda that he wants to buy some seeds and plant a garden in the back yard. Linda is overjoyed at Willy's high spirits,...
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...Stanley if he knows where he can find a store that sells carrot and pea seeds. Stanley tells him where to go, and Willy hurries off, frantically explaining that he has...
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...the house for Willy, who, Linda finally tells Biff, is outside obsessively trying to plant seeds despite the darkness.
(full context)
