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?
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