Death of a Traveling Salesman

Driving represents a path sought but not discovered. As Bowman drives, he feels disoriented: “he seemed to be going the wrong way—it was as if he were going back” (108). Although he expects the drive to be along a “graveled road,” he finds himself driving along a “cow trail” without knowing if or when he took a wrong turn (109). The sense of heading somewhere specific suggests a quest of some kind, and because this is Bowman’s first day back at work after having the flu, his most immediate quest is to sell shoes. A spiritual quest, however, is implicit.

Unsure if he’s going the right way—even if he’s on the right road—Bowman is disoriented; symbolically, he’s lost his sense of spiritual direction, unsure of a remedy for his loneliness. Bowman’s isolation permeates his perspective as he sees people far off in the fields and believes they look inhuman, like “leaning sticks or weeds” (109). And as he continues along this path not meant for cars—where “no car had been” (109)—he suddenly finds himself on the edge of a ravine. Bowman oddly and quietly steps out of the car, and it falls into grapevines. This dead-end trip signifies that the path Bowman thought was valuable—a quest for sales, for profit—is futile.