Death of a Salesman

Content Questions

Act I

Scene 1 (pages 1 – 8)

 

1. Why is the setting nearly transparent?

 

2. What hints of possible tension, or problems, are given in Willy’s and Linda’s opening remarks of pages 2-3?

 

3. Miller very quickly reveals to the audience that Willy’s state of mind is starting to weaken. What are the hints that reveal this?

 

4. Explain the tension that exists between Willy and Biff.

 

5. Explore the following symbols:

            a) the aspirin

            b) the shaving lotion

            c) the red Chevy

 

Scene 2 (pages 8 – 15)

 

1. What are Biff’s views on the working man?

 

2. Biff and Happy are both unhappy in their lives, but for different reasons. Why is each one unhappy?

 

Scene 3 (pages 15 – 20)

 

1. Willy keeps having “flashbacks” to the year 1928. Why is this date significant historically? Why is it personally significant to Willy?

 

2. How does Willy react when Biff tells him about “borrowing” the football?

 

3. How does Willy treat Happy?

 

4. Why does Willy tell the boys stories about his travels? What aspect of his sales trip does he not talk about?

 

Scene 4 (pages 20 -21)

 

1. Why doesn’t Willy encourage Biff to study for his math test?

 

2. Explain Willy’s insulting comments towards Bernard.

 

3. In your own words, explain Willy’s philosophy of success.

 

Scene 5 (pages 21 – 26)

 

1. How does Willy explain his difficulty in getting ahead? What is revealed about his character? How does Linda respond?

 

2. Who is “The Woman”? Why is she introduced at this point? Why is she important to Willy?

 

Scene 6 (pages 26 - 27)

 

1. Why does Willy refuse to allow Linda to mend her stockings?

 

2. What insights into Biff’s character do Bernard and Linda provide?

 

Scene 7 (pages 27 – 32)

 

1. Why does Willy idolize Ben?

 

2. Explain what Willy means when he says:

            a) “The woods are burning”

            b) “The world is an oyster, but you don’t crack it open on a mattress.”

 

3. Why does Willy reject Charley’s offer of a job?

 

4. Why does Willy always insult Charley?

 

Scene 8 (pages 32 – 37)

 

1. What is Ben’s philosophy of success?

 

2. Explain Ben’s advice to the boys.

 

3. Contrast Ben and Charley in this scene.

 

4. What does Willy’s speech “Can’t you stay a few days ... about myself” (towards the bottom of page 36) reveal?

 

Scene 9 (pages 37 – 44)

 

1. How does Linda represent Miller’s “social conscience” (a moral lesson Miller want the audience to learn)?

 

2. What reasons does Linda give the boys for Willy’s emotional problems?

 

3. What does Linda mean when she tells Biff that Willy is dying?

 

4. What does Linda mean when she says, “Biff, his life is in your hands”?

 

Scene 10 (pages 44 – 49)

 

1. What business plan do Biff and Happy come up with? How solid a plan do you think this is?

 

2.  How does Willy contradict himself when giving the boys advice on how to impress Bill Oliver?

 

3. Describe the relationship between Biff and Linda.

 

Scene 11 (pages 49 – 51)

 

1. Explain Willy’s allusion to Hercules (who is Hercules, and in what ways does he apply to this situation?).

 

2. What does Biff do at the end of Act One? Why is this action significant?

 

3. Why do you think Miller creates an optimistic mood at this point in the play?

 

Act TWO

Scene 1 (pages 52 - 56)

 

1. What are Biff and Willy each preparing to do today?

 

2. What is the difference between Willy’s fridge and Charley’s?

 

3. What does Willy say about Linda’s stockings?

 

4. Act II begins with an air of optimism. How does Biff’s call to Linda cast a dark cloud on that optimistic feeling?

 

Scene 2 (pages 56 – 64)

 

1. Describe how Howard treats Willy.

 

2. Willy tells Howard about Dave Singleman. Who is Dave Singleman, and why does Willy idolize him? Is Singleman’s life as wonderful as Willy believes it to be?

 

3. How does Howard react to Willy’s request?

 

4. How did Howard get his position in the company?

 

5. How does Willy get trapped in his own lies?

 

6. What does Howard do at the end of the meeting with Willy?

 

Scene 3 (pages 64 – 68)

 

1. In 1928 what offer did Ben make Willy? How did Linda stop him from taking this offer? In your opinion should Willy have taken this offer?

 

2. How do Ben’s and Willy’s ideas of how to measure success differ?

 

3. Why does Charley believe that Willy takes the wrong things in life too seriously?  Give the line in which Charley implies that Willy is emotionally immature.

 

Scene 4 (pages 68 – 76)

 

1. In the present (1948) what is Bernard doing as a career?

 

2. According Bernard, what was the turning point in Biff’s life?

 

3. Why does Willy need more money than usual from Charley?

 

4. What does Willy mean when he says he’s worth more dead than alive?

 

5. Why won’t Willy take the job offer?

 

6. What is ironic about Willy’s parting words to Charley?

 

Scene 5 (pages 76 – 109)

 

1. What lies does Happy tell to impress the girls?

 

2. Miss Forsythe says she is a model; Happy says he sells champagne; both are lying. What does Miss Forsythe really do for a living?

 

3. What happened to Biff at his meeting with Bill Oliver?

 

4. What does Happy think they should tell Willy? What does Biff think they should tell Willy? Who do you think is right?

 

5. Why does Willy say he needs to hear some good news? Would Willy rather hear a positive lie than a negative truth?

 

6. How does Willy’s mind try to prevent him from hearing the truth?

 

Scene 6 (pages 85 – 86)

 

1. In this delusion Willy remembers what Biff did after he failed math class. What did he do?

 

2. What is different about this delusion from the other previous delusions? Why is this difference significant?

 

Scene 7 (pages 86 – 91)

 

1. What has happened to Willy’s mental state?

 

2. Willy accuses Biff of failing in life on purpose to “spite him.” What does he mean by this?

 

3. As Biff and Happy are leaving the restaurant, what does Happy say about Willy to the girls?

 

Scene 8 (pages 91 – 95)

 

1. Why has Biff come to Boston? What does he find out?

 

2. When Biff sees the woman he has an epiphany (he sees many things in a new light and re-evaluates his beliefs). What does Biff now understand?

 

Scene 9 (pages 95 – 96)

 

1. Willy tries to give Stanley most of the money he got from Charley as a tip. He tell him “I don’t need it any more.” What does this indicate?

 

2. Where does Willy go after the restaurant?

 

Scene 10 (pages 96 – 99)

 

1. What reception do the boys get from Linda when they return home?

 

2. What is Willy doing when they get home (in the middle of the night)?

 

Scene 11 (pages 99 – 101)

 

1. What is Willy discussing with Ben (the $20 000 proposition)?

 

2. What positive aspects does Willy think could come from this plan? What negative aspects does Ben warn him of?

 

Scene 12 (pages 101 – 106)

 

1. When Biff says he is leaving what does Willy accuse him of doing? What does he hope this will accomplish?

 

2. Biff reveals that all the Loman men have been keeping secrets. What is each secret that each man has been hiding?

 

3. Why does Biff say he was never able to succeed in business?

 

4. During the fight, when Biff starts crying, what does Willy suddenly realize? Why is this significant?

 

Scene 13 (pages 106 – 109)

 

1. What has Willy decided about the proposition? What reason has changed? In other works, why is he now planning to go through with it?

 

2. Why does Willy’s mind create the delusion of Ben for this part?

 

Requiem (pages 110 – 112)

 

1. What does the word “requiem” mean? Why did Miller title this epilogue “requiem”?

 

2. Who came to Willy’s funeral?

 

3. What does Charley say about being a salesman?

 

4. What does Linda mean when she says “we’re free...”?