The story titled “Death of a Travelling Salesman “by Eudora Welty presents a case of a salesman that suffers from influenza. Due to his poor health, R.J Bowman takes a lot of time off work and lives a lonely life. During his last hours of life, R.J Bowman, who is the main protagonist in the story, seeks shelter in a home of a country couple. After an accident, which he escapes unhurt after his car falls into a ravine and meets a couple that promises to offer him assistance. His interaction with the couple erases misconceptions that he has already developed about life. The couple proves to have a vital knowledge to the meaning of life. His admiration of the young couple helps reveal his regrets about life. Whereas the couple is healthy in a purposeful relationship, Bowman experiences det
...eriorating health. Meeting the couple changes his perception about life and love.
Bowman experiences a dark, gloomy life. His health keeps deteriorating even after receiving treatment several times. Due to the disease, he looks pale and weak and hence is unable to lead a normal lifestyle. He hates life and feels anger for no reason. Bowman seems to find meaning in relationships but has no friend to keep him comfort in his sickness. Because he is unable to think clearly, he gets involved in an accident that almost brings his life to an end. He can cover his true feelings and the only place he finds solace is his work.
Bowman learns the importance of showing love after receiving help from the couple. The couple although not wealthy lives a happy life. They offer assistance to each other
Bowman then realizes the importance of social relationships. His heart struggles to make it unable to reveals what he feels from the inside. Although he learns a lot from the couple Bowman does not reveal this but silently keeps the lessons to his heart. He learns that individuals will find life more meaningful in relationships.
Bowman is indebted to the couple since it makes him feel more secure and makes him understand the importance of love and kindness. It was important for his heart to show and hold love “like other hearts” (Welty, 312). Bowman, therefore, shows that he needs love and affection to experience happiness like the couple. Through love, he would be married with a family that could offer him support in times of sickness. Although work is important, the family is also more important to help one cope with emotional stress and loneliness. A family would help Bowman avoid the lonely and lifeless life he had despite his success as a salesman.
Before the salesman dies, he learns of his incompleteness. He is conscious of his environment despite his suffering from influenza. He knows he must find love to end his loneliness, but the target seems too far to reach. As his heart begins to explode and thumb heavily like” a rifle” he struggles to keep calm (Welty 317). The salesman life is evidently different from that of the couple. The salesman dies a miserable life of regret. The exploding off of his heart signaled the end of his life after he realizes the incompleteness of his life. Welty makes Bowman a victim unable to control his fate (Mikics 190). Although Bowman finds meaning
in his job, he lives an incomplete and lonely life.
Works cited
- Mikics, David. Slow Reading in a Hurried Age. , 2013. Internet resource.
- Welty, Eudora. "Death of a traveling salesman." The Georgia Review 33.4 (1979): 756-769.
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