File

AP Literature
MAJOR WORKS DATA SHEET
Title: Death of a Salesman
Biographical Information about the Author
Author: Arthur Miller
Date of Publication: 1949
Genre: Tragedy
Historical Information about the period and place of
publication – what was happening in the world the
author lived in and how might that have influenced
him?
Arthur Asher Miller was born in Harlem, New
York on October 17, 1915. Being born to an
affluent family, Miller grew up comfortably.
However, after the crash of 1929, his family
lost nearly everything and moved to
Gravesend, Brooklyn. Deprived of his wealth,
he had to pay his own way through college.
Arthur Miller wrote ​
Death of a Salesman ​
in 1949. This
period was post-WWII America when the economy
began to boom. The U.S. had just risen from the
depths of the Great Depression and the american
dream seemed more attainable than ever.
Characteristics of the Genre
Tragedy often has a noble protagonist with a
critical flaw that leads to their eventual
downfall. This serves the purpose of warning
the reader against the themes of the work.
Plot Summary
Willy Loman is a traveling salesman who has worked his entire adult life to provide for his family. He is
an exhausted and unstable 63 year old man. When his sons come to town to stay with him and his wife,
Linda Loman, he is disappointed when they have not lived up to his expectations, especially his older
son, Biff Loman. In an effort to help his son have a better life, he kills himself to give Biff the insurance
money so that he may be successful.
Describe the author’s style
An example that demonstrates that style
Throughout the play, Miller uses Willy’s
visions of the past and blurred reality to
simulate the idea of how being too
ambitious can drive one mad.
The second scene in the play, Willy talks to his son Biff in the
kitchen about when he was in high school and how he was
the star of the football team and how he has amounted to
nothing. The entire time, Biff is upstairs listening to his
father’s ramblings.
Memorable Quotes
Quotation
Significance
“​
And when I saw that, I realized that selling was the greatest career a man could want. ’Cause what could be more satisfying than to be able to go, at the age of eighty­four, into twenty or thirty different cities, and pick up a phone, and be remembered and loved and helped by so many different people?​
”
This quote comes from Act II of the play when Willy is discussing
with his boss the chance to have a job in town. This quote shows
Willy’s ambition and his desire to live up to unreachable
expectations. He wants to be loved and liked, but he’s just not as
likable a person as he wants to be.
“I saw the things that I love in this world. The work and the food and the time to sit and smoke. And I looked at the pen and I thought, what the hell am I grabbing this for? Why am I trying to become what I don’t want to be . . . when all I want is out there, waiting for me the minute I say I know who I am.”
This is Biff’s final realization of who he is and what he is. In this
final confrontation with Willy. Throughout the entire play, Biff
looks to seek the approval of his father. With this quote, Biff
renounces his desire to please his father and live his life the way
he wants to.
Characters
Name
Role in the Story
Significance
Adjectives
Willy Loman
Father, lead character
Protagonist, tragic hero
Insane
Linda Loman
Mother, supporting character
Docile
Harold “Happy”
Loman
Younger son, supporting
character
Voice of reason, enabler
Peacemaker
Biff Loman
Older brother, supporting
character
Biff Loman
Neighbor, supporting character
Liar
Average
Disappointment
Willy's supportive best friend
Supportive
Charley
Bernard
Neighbor, supporting character
Older son, supporting character
Charley's sucessful son
Sucessful
Neighbor, supporting character
Peacemaker, supportive son,
attention seeker
Histrionic, coy,
reserved
Charley’s son
Jock, Willy’s pride and joy
Average
Supporting neighbor
Understanding
Successful counterpart to Biff
Successful
Setting
1940’s New York City, the Loman house
Significance of opening scene
In the opening scene, Willy Loman stumbles
home early from a business trip . He tells his
wife, Linda Loman, that he almost ran over a
young boy on the way home, which sparks
her concern since he once drove off of a
bridge into a river. He then tells his son, Biff
Loman, that he is a failure for doing manual
labor as a job. He contradicts himself later in
the scene, which is a common theme in the
play.
Significance of ending/closing scene
Symbols
The last scene is of Willy’s funeral after he
commits suicide in order to give Biff the
insurance money to start his own business.
The only people there are Willy’s family ,
Charley and Bernard. Willy always claimed to
have many business friends, believing that
1. Seeds
they were needed to be successful. They all
lament as they criticize Willy’s ambition.
Old AP Questions
2. Stockings
3. Diamonds
4. Rubber Hose
5. Flutes
Possible Themes
1. The American Dream
2. Ambition
3. Reality vs. Illusion