Name___________________________________ Block____
Guiding Questions for Death of a Salesman
Section 1 (11-37) Support all answers with textual evidence. Include page numbers.
1.
Discuss the symbolism of the apartments looming in the background. Make note of when the apartments are
mentioned.
2. How does the historical period of the play affect our understanding of the play?
Is this play realistic? Does it
contain universal truths, or is it to be relegated to the time period in which it was created?
3. Discuss the symbolism of the garden in the play. Make note of when the garden is mentioned.
4. What does it mean to be a man in DOAS?
5. Note contradictions that the characters make in the play.
English 3
Pomerantz
Name___________________________________ Block____
6. How are women portrayed in DOAS?
7. Explain what Willy means when he says a person must not only “be liked, but well-liked.” Do you think it is
true that if a person is “well-liked, then the entire world opens up for him [or her]?”
8. At first Happy and Biff seem to be interchangeable. How does Miller develop these characters? How are they
different? How have they changed from childhood? Compare and contrast the two boys to Willy.
Biff
Happy
9. What is Willy’s definition of success? By his own definition, is he successful? Using Willy’s definition of
success, what would Willy truly be successful doing?
10.
Describe Linda’s role as wife. Give evidence to support your idea.
English 3
Pomerantz
Name___________________________________ Block____
Guiding Questions for Death of a Salesman
Section 2 (38-69) Support all answers with textual evidence. Include page numbers.
1.
Is Willy a good father? Argue all possibilities.
Yes
2.
No
Is Linda a good mother? Argue all possibilities.
Yes
No
3.
Analyze the relationship between the neighbors. Compare and contrast Charley to Willy and Bernard to Biff.
4.
How has Linda’s role developed in this section of the play? How has it changed from the opening scenes?
English 3
Pomerantz
Name___________________________________ Block____
5.
Analyze Ben’s role in this play. Pay special attention to his entrances and exits—why does he appear and
disappear when he does? What does the jungle represent for Willy? for the audience?
6.
How does the role of men in DOAS continue to be defined? Give new examples from this section.
7.
How does Willy’s house function as a metaphor for his ambitions?
8.
Discuss the role of guilt in the play.
Continue to add to the list of flashbacks and triggers on your bookmark sheet.
English 3
Pomerantz
Name___________________________________ Block____
Guiding Questions for Death of a Salesman
Section 3 (71-69) Support all answers with textual evidence. Include page numbers.
1.
Why is Dave Singleman’s life Willy’s ideal dream?
2.
What role does technology play in DOAS? How do the characters respond to new technology? Can you
make connections to today’s technology?
3.
Discuss the contrast between dream and reality. What conflicts are created between these two concepts?
4.
How does hope shape the characters in this section? Willy? Linda? Biff? Happy?
English 3
Pomerantz
Name___________________________________ Block____
5.
When Willy tells Howard, “You can’t eat the orange and throw the peel away—a man is not a piece of fruit” (82)
what does he mean?
6.
Charley tells Willy, “The only thing you got in this world is what you can sell. And the funny thing is that you’re a
salesman, and you don’t know that” (97). Do you agree with this statement about Willy? Why or why not?
7.
Identify more instances of guilt and the role it plays in this section.
8.
Identify more occurrences of the garden and seeds. What do they symbolize?
9.
Discuss Willy’s role as a father. What makes him a good father. What makes him a bad father?
English 3
Pomerantz
Name___________________________________ Block____
Guiding Questions for Death of a Salesman
Section 4 (99-139) Support all answers with textual evidence. Include page numbers.
1.
What role does technology play in DOAS? How do the characters respond to new technology? Can you make
connections to today’s technology? (really from previous section)
2. Is Willy a good father? Argue all possibilities.
3. Build on your understanding of the symbolism of the garden. How does it function in this final section?
4. What is Ben’s role in this final section? What does he come to represent? Why is he such a large figure in
these final scenes?
5. How do decisions made by the characters have lasting effects?
English 3
Pomerantz
Name___________________________________ Block____
6. Does Willy have a moment of recognition in which he understands what is causing his downfall? Explain.
7. What is Willy’s immediate motive for suicide? Does his decision make him heroic? Are there other reasons for
the suicide that we can infer from the rest of the play?
8. Analyze Happy’s final statement in the Requiem. What are we to take from Happy’s sentiment? How are we
to respond?
9. The Requiem is a troubling few pages. In what ways does this epilogue provide closure? In what ways does it
bring up new problems? What new understandings do we gain from the Requiem? What are your predictions
(based on the play itself) for the characters’ futures?
Continue to add to your list of flashbacks and triggers.
English 3
Pomerantz