Death of a Salesman Essay Prompts

Write a 350 word response to one of the following prompts using specific proof-points from the play and your supplemental reading. Submit completed essay to turnitin.com no later than 2:00 am Thursday, April 14, 2006.

1. Explain how Arthur Miller’s use of irregular chronological sequencing is used to convey a specific theme in Death of a Salesman.

2. If Willy Loman has a tragic flaw, what might it be and how does it lead to his death?

3. Arthur Miller suggests that in chasing the American Dream, we are all selling and trying to find success just like Willy. Agree or disagree with this assertion.

4. Willy confronts Howard, his boss, he charges, “You can’t eat the orange and throw the peel away—a man is not a piece of fruit.” Explain what this means and how it suggests a thematic motif.

5. While Biff realizes that their father “had the wrong dreams,” Happy defends Willy’s aspirations, saying, “I’m gonna show you and everybody else that Willy Loman did not die in vain.” Discuss these different dreams and whether or not they were the “wrong” dreams.

6. Discuss the consequences of Arthur Miller’s belief that the American dream has shifted from an agrarian, land-based ideal to an urban, business-oriented vision.