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.