AP LITERATURE SUMMER ASSIGNMENT 2009!

World Language High School
AP English Literature and Composition
Summer Assignment: 2009
Due Date: Tuesday, September 8th, 2009

1. Read the entire play Death of a Salesman, by Arthur Miller.

2. Before reading, complete the handout “The Art of Pre-Reading.” It is due along with the Reading Guide Questions.

3. Complete the Reading Guide Questions in a notebook. All question responses are short answers, most ranging from 1-2 sentences. Please respond in complete sentences.
- I strongly demand that you do not copy these answers from each other. Of course, you may discuss the play with each other; I encourage it. However, if you do not read and then copy the answers from someone, it will be a disastrous mistake, perhaps resulting in a complete zero for both people.

4. This is your first assignment of the 2009-2010 school year. It is worth a total of 50 points.

5. Plan to have your notebook and responses in front of you for our first few days of school. We will discuss the book in depth. You must read and complete the questions to be prepared for both the small group discussions of the play as well as the whole class discussions.

6. Additionally, your first essay of the year will be focused on Death of a Salesman. The essay assignment will be given to you during the first few days of school.

7. This assignment, as well as a copy of the reading questions, will be available all summer on the website below. Also, by June 12th, there will be new postings that may help guide you through the play, such as links to vocabulary, discussion questions, etc. This is the website: http://www.juliusaplit.blogspot.com/

8. This is a independent assignment, but if you are really lost and need assistance, feel free to email me at: popilius@yahoo.com

"Death of a Salesman" Reading Guide Questions

ACT ONE (p. 9-69)

1. Why is Willy home? Why is Linda alarmed that he’s home?
2. Why is Willy annoyed at Biff? How does he describe Biff? What does this tell us about Willy?
3. How has the neighborhood changed? Why does it matter to the story that his surroundings are no longer the way they used to be?
4. How does Linda treat Willy?
5. Why won’t Happy go out West with Biff, and why won’t Biff stay? Why doesn’t either son get married and settle down?
6. How does Willy feel about Charley and Bernard?
7. What does Willy’s reaction to Biff ’s theft of the football tell us about Willy?
8. Willy praises and then curses the Chevrolet; he tells Linda that he’s very well liked, and then says that people don’t seem to take to him. What do these inconsistencies tell us about Willy?
9. “Five hundred gross in Providence” becomes “roughly two hundred gross on the whole trip.” How does Linda take Willy’s stories, and what does this reveal about her?
10. Why does Charley visit and how does he feel about Willy?
11. Who is Ben? Why does Ben appear?
12. Why is Willy interested when Biff mentions Bill Oliver? Why do they argue?

ACT TWO (p. 71-136)

1. Why is Willy’s mood upbeat at the start of Act Two?
2. Why does Willy tell Howard about Dave Singleman?
3. How does Biff as a football hero embody his father’s dreams?
4. What is Willy’s impression of Bernard when he sees him in his father’s office?
5. Why won’t Willy work for Charley?
6. In the restaurant, how does Happy reflect Willy’s values?
7. How does Biff ’s realization that his life is a lie underline the theme of the play?
8. Why did Biff go to Boston? What does he discover when he sees the Woman?
9. Why does Linda tell the boys, “Get out of here, both of you, and don’t come back!”?
10. Why does Willy keep planting seeds where they’ve never grown before?
11. Why doesn’t Willy want to see Linda?
12. What does Biff do that makes Willy very happy?

REQUIEM (137-139)

1. What is a requiem? What is the purpose of this final act? To what extent is it successful?
2. Charley says: “No man only needs a little salary.” To what is he referring? What else does a man need?