Questions on Death of a Salesman

1.How does Linda define life to Willy? How does he respond?

2.What does Willy mean when he says that Biff is "lost"?

3.Explicate Willy's line "How can they whip cheese?" How does it connect to what has happened thus far in the play?

4.Why has Biff not "settled down" to a specific career? Quote his commentary, and then explicate it.

5.Evaluate the symbolic role of "the merchandise manager" in Act I. Pay particular attention to what his situation and Happy's attitude towards it tells us about Happy Loman.

6.What function does advertising serve in Act I? In order to answer this question, you must provide both an individual example of an advertised product and a consideration of the larger role played by advertising.

7.What functions does Bernard serve in Act I?

8.What functions does Charley serve in Act I?

9.What demand does Linda make of Biff regarding his father? Why does she do so?