Name:___________________________________________Date:_________________________Block:______
Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller
Study Guide
Before you read, answer the following questions by checking agree or disagree for each statement in the boxes provided.
Statement
Agree
Disagree
1. It is better to be poor and live your dreams than to be wealthy and not live
your dreams.
2. People without ethics/morals are more likely to be successful than people with
strong ethics/morals.
3. A child is extremely unlikely to be successful if s/he doesn’t have strong role
models.
4. Happiness consists of having financial stability.
5. It is okay to lie, cheat, or steal as long as you don’t get caught.
6. A person who does not forgive cannot find peace and/or happiness.
7. It is better to ignore something unpleasant than to face reality.
8. Determination and hard work ensure success.
9. Most Americans see family and close personal relationships as the key to
success and happiness.
10. Success and happiness go hand in hand.
11. Most people in American society do what makes them happy/fulfilled
(personally and professionally).
12. The classic American Dream (house, steady job, family, pets, picket fence, etc.) is
no longer relevant in today’s world.
Define flashback:
How might a flashback be helpful as you read a piece of literature?
Act 1 – pages 11-23
1. Who are Willy and Linda Loman?
2. Why is Willy home? Why is Linda alarmed that he is home?
3. What happened to Willy after he got a little above Yonkers? How does Linda react?
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4. What reason does Willy give that he can’t work in New York?
5. Willy tends to contradict himself many times throughout the play. How does Willy contradict himself twice in his
first conversation with Linda?
6. Describe Biff. What is Willy so upset about in relation to Biff?
7. What complaint does Willy have about his house?
8. What complaint does Willy have about the population?
9. Describe Happy.
10. What seems to be happening with Willy based on Biff and Happy’s conversation (pages 19-20)?
11. How are Biff and Happy discontent in their current jobs?
12. Why doesn’t Happy want to quit his job and go out west with Biff?
13. What kind of dating relationships does Happy tend to have?
14. Who is Bill Oliver?
a. Why did Biff quit working for him?
b. What does Biff want from him now?
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15. Happy says, “I don’t know what to do about him [Willy], it’s getting embarrassing.” To what is he referring, and
what does the fact that Happy thinks this way tell you about his character?
16. Why does Willy talk so much about the car?
17. Where did Biff get the football? What does Willy say about that?
18. Who is Bernard? What point does Willy make about him on page 33?
19. What does Willy admit to Linda about his business? What is her reaction?
20. What are some things/characteristics Willy seems to lack? How does this affect his work and home life?
21. Who is the woman in Boston? What gift does he give to her?
22. What does Willy mean when he says, “I’ll make it up to you, Linda…”? What does Linda think he means (in
their current conversation)?
23. What is ironic about Linda mending her stockings and Willy’s reaction to her mending them?
24. Who is Ben?
25. Who is Charley?
26. Charley says, “To hell with it. When a deposit bottle is broken, you don’t get your nickel back.” What does he
mean in relation to Biff?
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27. Charley and Willy are playing cards. Why does Charley leave?
28. What did Willy’s father do for a living? How is that so different from what Willy does?
29. Why does Charley tell Willy, “the jails are fill of fearless characters”?
30. What is the meaning behind Ben’s line to Biff when he says, “Never fight fair with a stranger, boy. You’ll never
get out of the jungle that way…” ?
31. Why do you think Willy so desperately wants to talk about his father with Ben?
32. Linda says, “Attention, attention must be paid to such a person…” in relation to Willy on page 56. Explain what
she means by this.
33. How many years has Willy worked for his company? What very negative thing has recently happened, and how
has it affected Willy?
34. Linda tells the boys on page 58 that Willy will not be all right. When the boys ask her why, what is her reply?
35. What incidents and discoveries back up Linda’s belief from question #34?
36. What business idea does Happy propose to Biff? How does everyone react?
37. What advice does Willy give to Biff on the evening before he is to go see Bill Oliver? How does Willy contradict
himself again?
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38. How does Willy treat Linda as they discuss Happy and Biff’s possible business venture? How do the boys react?
How does Linda react?
39. In this first Act, when does Willy seem to slip into flashbacks? Why do you think this is?
40. What are some conflicts that the Loman family has at this point in the play, both past and present?
Past
Present
Act 2 – pages 70-139
1. Where did Biff go on this morning? What is Willy’s reaction?
2. What is Willy’s new view of the future?
3. What does Willy plan to ask Howard? What does Linda also suggest?
4. What financial milestone are Willy and Linda about to reach?
5. How does Willy feel as he heads to meet Howard?
6. What is the result of Howard’s conversation with Willy?
7. Willy says, “You can’t eat the orange and throw the peel away.” What does he mean by this?
8. Howard says, “This is no time for false pride, Willy…you’ve got two great boys, haven’t you?” What is sadly
ironic about this statement?
9. Why didn’t Willy go with Ben years ago when Ben offered him a job?
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10. Ben says, “What are you building? Lay your hands on it. Where is it?” What is the point of this line? What is
Willy’s response to this?
11. Where does Willy go after his conversation with Howard?
12. What does Willy ask Bernard? What was Bernard’s reply?
13. What do you think may have happened when Biff went to Boston to see Willy when he was 17?
14. Why can’t Willy work for Charley?
15. Though Willy is jealous of Charley, why does he still take Charley’s money?
16. When Willy says he is worth more dead than alive, what is Charley’s response?
17. As Willy leaves Charley’s office, he is on the verge of tears and tells Charley that he is the only friend he has.
What is ironic about this?
18. What does Happy’s interaction with the girl at the restaurant tell you about his character?
19. Biff says, “I realize what a ridiculous lie my whole life has been.” What does he mean by this?
20. What was the result of Biff’s meeting with Oliver?
21. What does Happy want Biff to tell Willy? Why?
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22. Willy says, “…the woods are burning, boys. Can’t you understand? There’s a big blaze going on all around.”
What does he mean by this?
23. When Willy tells the boys he was fired, what is he worried about in relation to Linda?
24. What does Willy do while Biff is trying to explain the facts of his meeting with Oliver?
25. Why does Biff stray from the truth when telling Willy what happened with Oliver?
26. Identify Miss Forsythe and Letta. How does Happy react to them?
27. Why does Biff call Willy a “fine, troubled prince”?
28. Biff tosses the rubber hose on the table that he removed from the water heater. How does Happy react to Biff’s
call for help with this issue?
29. Why can’t Biff seem to help Willy in any way?
30. Why did Biff go to Boson in the first place?
31. What happened when Biff visited his father in Boston? What secret is finally revealed between Willy and Biff?
32. How did the incident in Boston change Willy and Biff’s relationship from that moment on?
33. Where does Willy go after he realized that the boys left him in the restaurant? Why?
34. Why does Linda knock the flowers to the floor? Does this surprise you? Explain.
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35. Willy says, “A man can’t go the way he came in, Ben, a man has got to add up to something.” What does he
mean by this?
36. Why does Willy decide to kill himself?
37. How is Ben used in this scene as Willy is deciding to kill himself? Describe.
38. When Biff tries to leave on a peaceful note and Willy refuses to shake his hand, what is Willy’s reply when Biff
asks what Willy wants from him?
39. When Biff puts the rubber tubing on the table, some truths come out for the Loman family. Describe them.
40. What does Biff mean when he says that he and Willy are a dime a dozen? How does Willy react?
41. Biff says, “Will you take that phony dream and burn it before something happens.” What is the significance in
this line?
42. What is Willy’s response to the instance where Biff is crying?
43. Ben says, “The jungle is dark but full of diamonds, Willy.” What does he mean by this?
44. What does Willy decide to do?
45. Why is the car an appropriate device for Willy’s decision?
46. What is a requiem?
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47. How many people come to Willy’s funeral?
48. Biff says, “He had all of the wrong dreams. All, all wrong.” What does he mean by this?
49. Based on the events of the play and your knowledge of the characters, what will probably become of Biff and
Happy?
50. Linda says, “We’re free and clear.” What are the possible meanings to this line?
Themes
Describe the following themes as they are seen in the play.
The American Dream
Abandonment
Betrayal
Symbols
Describe the following symbols as they are seen in the play.
Seeds
Diamonds
Stockings
The Rubber Hose
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