Death of a Salesman

Use these essay questions as writing and critical thinking exercises for all levels of writers, and to build their literary analysis skills by requiring textual references throughout the essay.

Differentiation Suggestion: For English learners or struggling writers, strategies that work well include graphic organizers, sentence frames or starters, group work, or oral responses.

Scaffolded Essay Questions

Student Prompt: Write a short (1-3 paragraph) response using one of the bulleted outlines below. Cite details from the text over the course of your response that serve as examples and support.

1. Willy Loman strives for the American Dream but fails to achieve it.

• Why is Willy unable to achieve the American Dream? (topic sentence)
• In what ways does the American Dream become Distorted for Willy?
• In your concluding sentences, evaluate Willy’s attempt to become a successful salesman when his skill set may have precluded it.

2. Willy is abandoned by his father, and Willy betrays his son Biff.

• In what ways does the legacy of fathers subvert the success of the Loman men? (topic sentence)
• In what additional ways is Willy abandoned and Biff betrayed?
• In your concluding sentences, consider the effect of A Father’s Abandonment and Betrayal on the Loman family as a whole.

3. Willy’s futile attempt to hold on to the American Dream is mired in Contradictions and the Denial of Reality.

• At what point does the truth catch up to Willy, and why? (topic sentence)
• How does the encroachment of reality affect Willy’s actions in the play?
• In your concluding sentences, consider how the acceptance of reality affects the potential futures of Linda, Biff, and Happy.

Full Essay Assignments

Student Prompt: Write a structured and well-developed essay. Include a thesis statement, at least three main points supported by text details, and a conclusion.

1. The women in the play are largely static, meaning that they do not change as a result of events. In what roles do Linda, the mistress, and the women in the bar appear in relation to the Loman men? In what ways do the women become parts of (or remain outside of) the male version of the American Dream? As the most fully developed female character, what does Linda dream of? Is her dream fulfilled or distorted, and why? Cite text evidence to support your claim.

2. In relation to the theme A Father’s Abandonment and Betrayal, consider the theory of intergenerational trauma. In this condition, trauma is inherited because it causes changes to DNA, altering the ways in which some genes function. In what ways does this theory explain the lineage of development from Willy’s father to Willy to Biff and Happy? Cite text evidence in support of your claim.

3. Compare and contrast Willy and Biff. In what ways are the two men alike and different? What does Biff try to do that Willy does not? Why doesn’t Willy support Biff? In the end, what happens to Biff? Does he follow in Willy’s footsteps, or does he remain true to himself, perhaps claiming redemption for father and son? Cite text evidence in support of your claim.