74 pages • 2 hours read
Arthur MillerDeath of a Salesman
Fiction | Play | Adult | Published in 1949A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.
Discussion/Analysis Prompt
Willy admires Dave Singleman because he dies the noble death of a salesman. Is Willy’s death noble or ignoble? Why?
The word noble stems from the Latin nobilis, meaning “well-known.” Today, the term is used to mean “famous, exalted, or grand.” In contrast, ignoble may mean “not well-known.” Today, it also means “characterized by what is common or low.”
- What causes Willy’s death, both literally and psychologically?
- How will Willy be remembered by each of the play’s characters?
- Is a high funeral attendance a testament to one’s importance? Why or why not?
- What does the audience understand about the American Dream at the play’s end that Willy never does?
Teaching Suggestion: Consider designating one place in the room for students who consider Willy’s death noble, another place for those who consider the character’s death ignoble, and a place in the middle for those who attach both qualities to the death. Encourage students to use their choices as a jumping-off place for discussion.
Differentiation Suggestion: Ask visual students to create word collages, cutting images from magazines to illustrate the words noble and ignoble.
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