Even your grandfather was better than a carpenter…Go back to the West! Be a carpenter, a cowboy, enjoy yourself!
– Arthur Miller
Death of a Salesman, Act 1. When Biff states that they don’t belong in the city and they should have been on some open plain mixing cement or carpenters, Willy reacts with arrogant pride. Looking down his nose on manual labor, he boasts that Biff’s grandfather was better than a carpenter. Sarcastically he urges his son to go back West and be a carpenter or cowboy. The theme of nature vs city is illustrated here. Willy’s words are also ironic. His own love of nature and working with his hands is shown throughout the play, suggesting that perhaps Willy should have chosen that life instead of being a salesman in New York city.