AP Language and Composition
Finn/Loun
Death of a Salesman…
By Arthur Miller
…an exercise in freewriting. Answer ONE of these questions as a freewrite – a species of writing that falls
between formal literary analysis and journal entry. You should write what you are thinking, worrying less
about logical progression of argument, and more about exploring everything you are thinking on the
subject. You may use “I,” you can even say, “I think…” Flesh out your ideas. Get them all down on paper.
For once it is ok if not everything belongs to one overarching thesis statement… and have fun. The product
should be typed.
Major motifs in the play: The garden, the moon, and the woods (or the jungle). Trace
ONE and comment on its significance.
Willy Loman lives inside a world of illusion and completely ignores the reality of every
situation. But the inability to deal with reality is not just Willy’s issue; it seems to run in
the entire family. Biff even says to his father, “we never told the truth in the house for ten
minutes.” How does the problem of illusion vs. reality affect the entire Loman family?
Willy tells Bernard that, “life is not a piece of fruit.” What is the significance of this
statement in the context of the play?
How does the structure of the play contribute to the story? In other words, why would
Arthur Miller have chosen to present the story as a series of flashbacks?
Oh, Willie. Obviously Willie is delusional. The question is why. Every year, students
want to tell me Willie’s crazy, but could there be something else going on here? What’s
most interesting to me is that even after everything the family has gone through, in the
end Willie learns nothing. After Biff cries to him about his failed life and Willie’s role in
it, he cries out “that boy – that boy is going to be magnificent!” He still won’t accept that
his son is a failure. Discuss Willie Loman. This is a big job.
And you don’t have to write about this one, just think on it for discussion…but had you noticed the
name….Loman?