Death of a Salesman
Arthur Miller
Strand, Paul. Wall Street. 1915.
Reading Assignments & Study Questions
As is customary for homework, begin each night’s writing assignment on a new piece of paper and label it
clearly with “Assignment 1,” “Assignment 2,” etc. Write in complete sentences.
I will evaluate your understanding of the this play through the following:
- Daily homework completion
- Daily participation in class discussion
- Reading comprehension quizzes
- Review quizzes on Acts 1 and 2
- Vocabulary quiz
- Final project/essay
Assignment 1
Read pages 1-15 and answer the questions.
1. Make predictions about the plot, characters, conflicts, themes, and/or tone of the play based on
Miller’s description of the set. Identify at least two key features of the set and explain what they
express about the play.
2. What is Willy’s explanation for his sudden and unexpected return home?
3. Describe Linda’s treatment of Willy. What kind of a person is she?
4. What is the tension that exists between Willy and Biff?
5. Describe Willy’s attitude towards his home and its surroundings.
6. What evidence is there that Willy is living in the past?
7. How are Biff and Happy different?
8. Why won’t Happy go West with Biff, and why won’t Biff stay? Why doesn’t either son get married
and settle down?
9. Why does Happy want Biff to have a talk with Willy?
10. Select one quote for each of the following characters which you believe exemplifies the character:
Willy, Linda, Biff, Happy.
Assignment 2
Read pages 16-27. Stop at Happy’s entrance (“HAPPY in pajamas…”) Answer the questions.
1. What is Willy’s philosophy on being liked by other people? What advice does he give his sons?
2. In the scenes from the boys’ childhood, how does Willy’s treatment of Biff differ from his treatment
of Happy? Consider Willy’s response to Biff having stolen a football and his
3. Why is so much emphasis given to Willy’s income and debts?
4. What are Willy’s and Linda’s reactions to the realization that Willy is not getting ahead at work?
5. Contrast Biff and Bernard. What further insight into Biff’s character does Bernard provide?
6. Describe one inconsistency you notice in Willy. What does this tell us about him?
7. Why does Willy make a fuss about Linda mending stockings? What do the stockings symbolize?
(Hint: They symbolize a great deal more than Willy’s income.)
8. Why do you think Miller introduces the Woman at this point in the play?
Assignment 3
Read pages 27-37. Answer the questions.
Heads up: When Willy is playing cards with his neighbor Charley, Willy has an apparition. In his mind, his
brother Ben appears to him, and this launches Willy into another flashback that includes young Linda, Biff,
and Happy. Charley cannot see Ben, so he becomes quite confused as to whom Willy is speaking. Some of
Willy’s lines will be directed at Ben, some at Charley.
1. While you read, use a pencil to mark the lines Willy says which are directed at Ben – not Charley.
(Mark them on the page. We will erase them later.) This will come in handy when we perform this
scene in class tomorrow.
2. Which of Charley’s comments does Willy take offense to? What does his reaction show about him?
3. Why is Willy so proud of his ceiling?
4. Why does Willy envy his brother Ben?
5. What do we learn about Willy’s father?
6. In his discussions with Ben, what does Willy reveal about his hopes for his sons?
7. What does Willy’s pawning of his diamond watch fob indicate?
8. What makes a man a success, by American terms? Death of a Salesman shows us that success comes
in different forms, particularly for men. Most of Miller’s characters are men, and each represents a
different brand of success and masculinity. What are the different roles a man can occupy in 20 th
century American society according to the play? List the names of the male characters you’ve met
thus far and beside each name, identify the character’s line of work, skills, strengths, interests, the
kinds of relationships he has with others – both men and women, etc.
Assignment 4
A. Set aside 10-20 minutes to interview a parent or parent-figure in your life. If you can, it down with them
where you will not be interrupted. Ask the questions below. Listen and record their answers carefully.
1. If you work in addition to being a parent, why do you do it?
2. Define success as you understand it.
3. Are you doing now what you dreamt you’d be doing when you were your son or daughter’s age? Why
or why not? Describe the main factors you believe a) prevented you from and b) helped you in
realizing the dream you had had in mind.
4. The American Dream tells us that we can accomplish anything for which we work our hardest. Do
you believe the American Dream is a reality? Why or why not?
5. A sixty-four-year-old man has worked more than forty years for one company. He was never a star at
his job, just a dedicated employee who devoted every hour, every day, and every year to making an
honest living and supporting his family. A year before retirement, his boss informs him he is being
let go because his performance is not as good as it was years before. Do you pity this man? Why or
why not?
6. Is it wise to advise the younger generations that hard work is all one needs in order to be successful?
B. Read “Fatalism in America” NY Times article. Based on the article, to what do most Americans attribute
their successes in life – their own determination and hard work, or good luck and forces outside of their
control? In your opinion, why is this the case?
C. Read the poems “Mid-Life Crisis,” “The Secret Heart,” and “Those Winter Sundays”. How do these poems
portray the average person in a sympathetic light? How do these poems evoke your pity for the
individuals described? Answer thoughtfully.
Assignment 5
Read Miller’s essay “Tragedy and the Common Man”. Answer the questions.
1) What, according to Miller, are all individuals – not just “the kings or the kingly” – struggling to
gain in their society? Explain this in your own words, too.
2) What does Miller say is the “fear” that “the common man knows best”? Explain this in your own
words, too.
3) Miller says that “tragedy requires a… balance between what is possible and what is impossible.” He
believes that humankind’s optimism is the source of what makes “the common man” tragic. Our
optimism in what exactly? Explain what you think Miller means.
Assignment 6
Read pages 37-51. Answer the questions.
1. What does Linda think is the trouble with Willy’s life?
2. Why does Linda put the rubber hose back after she had taken it? What does this tell about her?
3. Why is Willy interested when Biff mentions Bill Oliver?
4. Why do Willy and Biff argue?
5. How does Happy try to capture attention?
6. With what kind of mood does Act I conclude? What creates this mood?
7. As we did for ideal masculine identities a day ago, generate a list of feminine identities that
American culture promotes. According to our culture, what kinds of roles are acceptable and most
favorable for women?
Assignment 7
Prepare for the Act 1 Quiz. IN ADDITION TO fill-in-the-blank, multiple choice, and short answer questions
about the plot, characters, and themes of Act 1, I will ask you to answer one of the questions below in a wellreasoned body paragraph which MUST include AT LEAST TWO QUOTES. Tonight, collect the quotes you
plan to use on the quiz which you may use during the quiz. If you do not prepare quotes and thus fail to use
them in your answers, you will lose up to 20 points.
1) Does Linda help or hinder Willy? How? Evaluate her as a wife. Use at least two specific examples
from the play to support your answer.
2) Explain how either Biff or Happy is a product of his American, familial upbringing. Use at least
two specific examples from the play to support your answer.
Assignment 8
Read pages 52-64. Answer the questions.
1. Linda is disappointed when she learns that Biff took away the rubber tubing and not Willy.
Evaluate Biff’s decision to take it away. Do you agree with it? Why or why not?
2. Why is Howard unsympathetic to Willy? Describe his reaction to Willy’s problems and why he
behaves this way.
3. Describe what kind of dramatic effect the recording machine has here. What does the recording
machine symbolize?
4. Explain the importance of Dave Singleman in Willy’s life.
5. To what degree is Willy responsible for losing his job? Why?
Assignment 9
Read pages 64-76. Answer the questions.
1. Imagine that you are Sigmund Freud (Austrian accent, white beard, and all.) Pretend that Willy is
lying on your couch telling about his flashback as in pages 64-68. As Freud, explain the significance of
Willy’s flashback. What is/are his problem/s and how does the flashback illustrate them?
2. Imagine that you are Willy just after encountering Bernard. Reflect on your encounter with him. Of
what did he remind you? How does his success make you feel and why?
3. Examine Charley’s advice to Willy. Imagine that you are Charley at home talking with your wife the
night after seeing Willy in the office as in pages 69-76. Tell your wife what you think Willy’s ultimate
problem is. Give her examples of his choices that illustrate your view.
Assignment 10
1. Read pages 76-96.
2. Art activity: Now that you have just read the full story behind Willy and Biff’s falling out, your visual
answer to this assignment should be quite interesting. Using a piece of 8x11” paper and any art supplies
available to you, design a view into Willy’s unconscious when he is thinking of this concept: “my conflict
with Biff”. Use symbolism, imagery and/or words to create a tone that is appropriate for his attitude
towards this memory. Include at least one quote from tonight’s reading that supports your illustration’s
message about Willy. On the back of your design, write a brief statement explaining what you are trying
to show in your artwork.
Assignment 11
Finish reading the play (pages 97-112). Answer the questions.
1. Willy tells Ben that if Willy dies, his life insurance policy will provide his family with $20,000. What
is Willy hinting at doing to himself and how does Ben respond to this idea?
2. In his anger, what does Biff attempt to force Willy to recognize?
3. What does Willy learn from Biff’s emotional display?
4. Why does Willy decide to kill himself after he has been reconciled with Biff?
5. Look closely at the last four times Happy speaks on page 111. Based on these lines, has Happy learned
anything since the start of the play? How do you know?
6. How do Biff’s last remarks on page 111 show that he understands his father?
7. Explain the irony of Linda’s last speech.
Assignment 12
Prepare for the Act 2 Quiz. IN ADDITION TO fill-in-the-blank, multiple choice, and short answer questions
about the plot, characters, and themes of Act 2, I will ask you to answer the question below in a well-reasoned
body paragraph which MUST include AT LEAST THREE QUOTES. Tonight, collect the quotes you plan to
use on the quiz which you may use during the quiz. If you do not prepare quotes and thus fail to use them in
your answers, you will lose up to 30 points.
1) Arthur Miller’s play argues that certain values will lead a person to a successful, happy life, whereas
others will do the opposite. What is Willy’s ultimate goal in life and why doesn’t it come true? Present
your unique, intelligent explanation for his downfall. Strive to illuminate what you notice about Willy
that you believe no one else may see. Use at least three specific examples from the play to support your
answer. Conclude your writing by identifying the false values that the play reveals and the true values
that the play upholds through Willy’s story.