Reading Response 4: Death of a Salesman

Reading Response 4 - Death of a Salesman

Due: Tuesday, February 10

Choose one of the prompts below. Provide specific evidence to support your argument.

1. What is Willy’s narrative about himself? Where does it come from? How does this narrative drive the conflict in the play?

2. Does Linda protect Willy or enable him? What is her role in the play?

3. Contrast Charley and Bernard with Willy and Biff. What does this contrast reveal? Consider character and/or theme.

4. Is Willy Loman responsible for his own suffering, or is someone/something else responsible? Explain and demonstrate with evidence from the play.

5. Explain Biff’s conflict with Willy. What is at the core of the conflict?

6. Based on evidence in the play, what is Biff’s future? What is Happy’s?

7. Choose your own focus for analysis.