October+1+-+Arthur+Miller,+Death+of+a+Salesman





Why does Willy contradict himself in conversations, is it because he is afraid to take a position or is he arguing both points? Why are the sons named Happy, which has a positive connotation, and Biff, which has a negative connotation because it means to hit, is this a way to mirror future events in the play? Why is Willy experiencing such vivid hallucinations or daydreams? Are they stress related or is Willy losing control mentally?


 * T 10/1:** Arthur Miller, //Death of a Salesman// (1949), Act I (page 1-51 in my edition)
 * →Response Papers:** Group 1 (3/4)



Open-Ended: If Willy accepted his own failures, would he still commit suicide?

How does a negative relationship between a father and son affect the life of the father, who did everything he could to be the best father? How does the negligence of the son affect the father?


 * Hana:** Does Linda serve as a positive or negative influence on her family? Do you think Linda could have been more beneficial to her family if she was less submissive?

Sara: Does Willy's self-sacrifices create an opportunity for Happy and Biff to obtain the American Dream? Will money be the panacea to their problems or will the same reoccurring issues that surrounded their life before the death of their father continue to plague the bothers?

Jessica: In the flashbacks, why do you feel that Willy tries so hard to connect with Biff, but he just ignores Happy multiple times when he tells Willy how much weight he's lost? Why does he give more attention to one son and not both?