Death of a Salesman Study Guide – Flashcards
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In what city does Willy live?
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New York
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What surrounds Willy's house?
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new apartment buildings
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From where has Willy returned early? Why?
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New England; he had a car accident
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Does Willy have confidence in his ability to o his job?
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Yes
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Who has come home to visit Willy and Linda?
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Biff
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Whom does Willy criticize and why?
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Biff is 34 and is not successful yet
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Why does Willy stop criticizing?
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He remembers the potential Biff showed in high school
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How old are Biff and Happy during their conversation in the bedroom? does it happen in the past or present?
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Biff is 34 and Happy is 23
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What was Biff's latest job?
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He worked as a ranch hand in Texas
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What kind of job or career can he not bear?
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He can not handle the slow advancement involved with jobs such as a salesman and a shipping clerk
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Why doesn't Happy accept Biff's invitation to go west to start a farm?
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He wants "to show some of those pompous executives of there that he can make the grade"
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What pan does Biff tell Hap about as the brothers fall back to sleep?
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He tells him about the loan he is going to ask from Bill Oliver
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Why is Biff nervous about the plan to get money from his former boss?
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He stole a basket of basketballs
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How are Hap and Biff different from Bernard?
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They are athletic while Bernard is studious. Willy thinks he is anemic
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According to Willy, what makes someone successful?
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Being well liked
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What memory or daydream does Willy have immediately after he tells Linda, "You're the best there is"?
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He has a flashback to his affair
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What gift does Willy not give to Linda, even though he gives it to someone else?
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he gives stockings to his mistress in Boston
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Why does willy scream at Linda and Bernard to "shut up"?
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He is overwhelmed when he remembers who he betrayed his family and cheated on his wife
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Do Willy and Charley play cards in the present or in the past of a flashback?
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present
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Who is Ben? Why does Willy admire him?
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Ben is Willy's dead older brother. Willy admires him because he has the success Willy never achieved
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Why is the watchman chasing Biff?
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Biff and Hap stole steal from the construction site at their father's request
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What does Charley offer Willy as they play cards? Does Willy accept?
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He offers him a job. He feels insulted and does not accept
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Where does Linda place the blame for Willy's disoriented, hallucinatory condition?
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She blames Biff for never fixing things with his father
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Why is it that "attention must be paid" to Willy?
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Because he was a human
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Why must Willy borrow 50 dollars every week from Charley?
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He is not making enough money now that he works off commissions not salary
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Why does Biff intend to ask Bill Oliver for a loan? What does Willy think of Biff's idea to ask Oliver for a loan?
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He plans on starting a sporting goods line with Happy. Willy thinks it is a wonderful idea.
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Explain Willy's irritation when Linda reminds him of their unpaid bills
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He is elated with the idea of his sons success in their new business and does not want to be reminded of the debt he is continuously in
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What does Willy ask Howard? Why is Howard so unsympathetic?
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For the New York job. He finds Willy to be irritating
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Who was Dave Singleman and what impression did he make on Willy?
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Dave Singleman was a successful salesman. Willy's goal in life was to be as successful as him
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Why doesn't Howard let Willy go to Boston?
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Howard fires Willy. He finds Willy's behavior to be an embarrassment to the company
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Describe Howard's reaction to Willy's problem?
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He is unsympathetic
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Why does Willy look to Ben for help after his unpleasant meeting with Howard? Does Willy get the help he needs?
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He is looking for advice. He flashes back to his brother offering him a job in Alaska
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Describe Bernards success in later life
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Bernard is a lawyer. He has a case in Washington D.C.
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What important important question does Willy ask Bernard? What is his response? How does Willy react to Bernard's suggestion?
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He asks what happened in Boston. Willy says that nothing happened and becomes offended
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What does Charley attempt to do for Willy?
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Charley offers him another job
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Why does Biff become upset with Willy?
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He won't let him tell the truth and assuming that he stole stuff
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After willy hears Biff's news about Bill Oliver, what flashback occurs?
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Willy recalled what happened in Boston
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What happened between Biff and Willy in Boston?
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Biff caught his father cheating
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Why doesn't Linda accept the flowers from the boys?
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She feels it is their fault that their father is the way he is
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What is the twenty thousand dollar proposition Willy discusses with Ben?
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He's going to kill himself so his family will receive his insurance money
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Hoes does Willy envision his funeral?
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He imagines a lot of his clients there
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How does Ben respond to Willy's proposition?
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Ben is reluctant and thinks its foolish
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What does Biff intend to do to make life easier for Linda and Willy?
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Biff intends to leave and not write his parents anymore
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In his anger, what does Biff attempt to force Willy to recognize?
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Biff tries to get Willy to face the truth of his situation
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What does Willy learn from Biff's emotional display?
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That Biff does love Willy
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Why does Willy decide to kill himself after he has been reconciled with Biff?
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He believes he is worth more dead than alive
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How does Willy kill himself, how is his death depicted?
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He kills himself in a car accident
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What is Happy's reaction to Willy's death?
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He feels that he needs to pick up where his father left off
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Do Biff's remarks show that he understands his father? How does Charley evaluate Willy? Why does Linda say she is free?
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Linda finally feels relief that she does not have to deal with her husband
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What is Linda wondering about the funeral?
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Why there are so few people
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According to Biff and Charley, when was Willy the happiest?
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When he was working with his hands
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What does Biff say about Willy's dreams and about Willy himself?
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...
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What does Happy decide he is going to do with his life so Willy did not die in vain?
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He is going to become the success his father never could be
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What can Linda not do?
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She can not cry
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What had Linda made the last of earlier that day, before the funeral? Why is the timing of this ironic?
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She made the last payment on the house
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What are some possible double meanings of Linda's last words?
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Free of the burden of Willy or free of debt
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Does Willy's death result in the effects he anticipated?
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yes his family received the money and Happy followed in his footsteps
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Will Biff or Happy follow in his father's footsteps and try to live his dreams?
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Happy
