Death of a Salesman, Act 2-Requiem Guided Reading Questions* Ms.

Laurin

1. What kind of mood does the music immediately suggest? Why does the scene open with

this mood?

Answer ​The mood of the music is relaxing and easy to listening for everyone. It opens with

this mood because the scene is in the morning which it matches with light and soft tone to

start the day.

2. Willy says that he would like to buy some seeds after work this evening. What does the

gardening motif (n. – idea repeated throughout the text) suggest about Willy’s attitude?

Answer​ He would like to buy some seeds because he is proud and happy about Happy ’s

intention in getting a job.

3. Linda and Willy are about to make their last mortgage payment on the house. Linda points

out that the house has “served its purpose.” What does she mean? Why doesn’t Willy

understand her meaning?

Answer​ She means that this house is worthwhile using. Willy still believes in this house that

it still can use even though he fixes all the cracks in the house and he is sad that his house

is surrounded by ​apartment buildings.

4. Over the phone, Biff tells Linda that he was the one who took the rubber pipe off of the

gas heater. What is Linda’s reaction? Why would she have felt more relieved if Willy had

removed it himself?

Answer​ Her reaction is surprised at first, but after she knows Biff takes it away. She is back

to her normal mood. Because she might think that Willy is getting better and not trying to

commit suicide anymore.

5. How would you describe Howard? What do he and Willy have in common? What is

Howard’s reaction to Willy as he describes his wishes? Why does he react this way?

Answer​ Howard is an independent guys who always doing things in his own ways. Willy and

Howard has confident and firmly in his decision making. Howard would like Willy to work as a

roadman even though he would love to find a position for him in town, but it’s already full.

6. Compared to his words, how do Howard’s actions tell us more about his attitude toward

Willy?

Answer​ He is very busy and he doesn’t want to dispute against Willy which he decides to

leave the office and meet others people. He wants Willy to bring his mind together and then

he will talk to him in a person later.

7. While Ben is building his business empire, Willy is building “something with [his] firm.”

According to Willy, what is he building? How is it different from what Ben is building?

Answer​ He is building his son who is finding his job and finding success in his life. Ben is

building a business in Alaska. He buys a timberland in Alaska which he wants Willy to look

after this timberland for him.

8. “Ben, am I right? Don’t you think I’m right? I value your advice.” Why do you think Willy

needs Ben’s validation (n. – encouragement that the person has value)? Is there evidence

that Ben has ever validated Willy’s life choices? How has this affected how Willy thinks about

himself, his life, and his past choices?

Answer​ Willy needs Ben’s validation because he thinks Ben is successful man who is very

rich and he wants someone who is successful agree to him about his explanation of what is

he building. Yes, there is an evidence of validation in Act one when Willy hallucinates and
sees Ben in the house. He believes that he isn’t successful yet, but he tells Ben that Biff will.

He makes the wrong move in the past. He chooses to work in town rather than followed his

brother to Alaska.

9. Why does Willy feel like Charley laughs at him behind his back? Why does Willy take the

importance of the game so seriously? What about Charley’s behavior makes him angry?

Answer​ Because Charley doesn’t give attention to the game seriously and it’s his normal

behavior since Willy and Charley become friend. Williy is giving lots of importance to this

game as his son is playing in this game. Charley makes a joke about the Ebbets Field blows

up which Willy doesn’t laugh and instead he is angry to Charley.

10. When Willy first tells Bernard about Biff’s plans, is he lying or just exaggerating? Explain.

Why does he do this?

Answer​ He doesn’t lie but he tries to promote Biff’s work to make Bernard feels jealous of

Biff or he just tries not to feel embarrassed to Bernard that Bernard is very successful, but

Biff hadn’t achieved anything in pieces yet.

11. Complete Willy’s sentence for him: “I always felt that if a man was impressive, and well

liked, that nothing ––”

Answer​ that nothing was not a real man.

12. “We’ve been talking in a dream for fifteen years . . .” Why do you think Biff would ever

believe he was a salesman for Oliver?

Answer​ Because Biff believes that he has potential to be in Oliver’s salesman and he has

talked to Oliver before which he might think Oliver will know him and give him a kindness

welcome from him and take him in as a salesman.

13. Happy tries to convince Biff to lie to Willy. What’s the lie? What is Happy’s motive in

trying to persuade his brother to lie to their father?

Answer​ The lie is Happy told Biff to tell Willy about he will have lunch with Oliver tomorrow

and at night after come back from lunch, he will tell Willy that Oliver needs time to think

about his job and then keep postpone the thinking process forever. So, Willy will be happy

and not be crazy again.

14. Biff calls Willy a liar and a fake. What is the lie? How does it change Biff’s perception of

his father?

Answer​ Willy has other woman than Linda when he was in Boston. Biff finds out that the

Woman is wearing with less cloth in the room with Willy which he couldn’t accept to Willy as

he cheated on Linda. Biff was sad and dissapointing to what his dad did.

15. The scene in the hotel with the Woman reveals the meaning of the symbol of the

stockings. What does Willy associate with stockings, and how does this flashback explain

Willy’s reaction to stockings when he’s with Linda?

Answer​ Willy gives Linda’s stocking to the Woman for a gift which it kept reminding himself

when he saw Linda’s stocking at home. This flashback kept hurting him because this

flashback wasn’t only him to know this. Biff also knew this.

16. Do you think Linda knew about the Woman? Why or why not? If she were to find out,

would it change her opinion of Willy? How do you know?

Answer​ I think Linda has no idea about the Woman because if she realizes that Willy cheats

on her, she will divorce and be careless to Willy. She thinks that Willy was hardworking man
who did everything for family, but if she knows the truth, she will probably not tolerate to his

action.

17. “I’ve got to get some seeds right away. Nothing’s planted. I don’t have a thing in the

ground.” How do we explain Willy’s sense of urgency in finding seeds for planting?

Answer​ He hasn’t planted anything in the ground at the back of his house which he would

love to do it as quickly as possible. He hopes he would have planted something at the back

of his house.

18. Which feelings motivate Linda’s reaction to Biff and Happy when they return to the

house? Do you think her reaction is justified or not? Explain.

Answer​ No, she isn’t justified because Biff is gone all day and didn’t take care of Willy

properly. This cause a little conflict between Biff and Linda. Linda also doesn’t want Biff to

stay at this house anymore because it made Willy’s symptom becomes even worse. Willy

also biases on Biff when they are talking or discussing thing together.

19. What is the proposition (n. – suggested action plan) that Willy describes to Ben? How

does Ben validate Willy’s idea? How does he doubt it?

Answer​ Willy is describing about twenty thousand dollar about insurance policy. Ben doesn’t

agree with Willy because it’s intentionally death which the insurance will not pay for it.

20. Willy continues to blame Biff’s failures on spite. What does he mean by this? Why does

he continue to believe that Biff is spiting him?

Answer​ Willy believes that Biff wants to revenge to him on what he did to Linda and the

reason of his failure. He continues to believe that Biff is spiting him because he couldn’t

accept the fact on what he has done and his fault belief against Biff.

21. “You blew me so full of hot air I could never stand taking orders from anybody!” Who

does Biff blame for this? What does he mean? What are some examples of how Willy has

done this throughout Biff’s life? Is Willy to blame? Explain.

Answer​ Biff blames Willy. He means that this dad is the person who made him

unsuccessful. His failure makes him thinking about the fact that he actually doesn’t have skill

like Willy used to tell him how skillful he is. Willy has controlled Bernard to give the answer to

Biff in Math class when he was in highschool which it caused Biff to think if he wishes, he will

get what he wishes. In my opinion, I think both of them are responsible for all the blame.Not

only Willy is a main cause,but also Biff is a grown up man who needs to take care of himself.

He knows the answer of the solution, but instead of solving his problem, he blames his dad

instead.

22. Biff tries to make his father realize that he has created an illusion for both of them. What

is this illusion? What is Willy’s reaction?

Answer
Requiem

1. What is the definition of requiem? Why do you think this final section of the play is called a

requiem?

Answer ​Requiem is a song of prayer for the dead. This section of play called a requiem

because the story ended up sadly by Willy is died and there are many arguments along this

chapter which the mood and tone of this story contained sad, depress and mournful.

2. Of his father Biff says, “There’s more of him in that front stoop than in all the sales he ever

made.” What does Biff mean by this? How does this reflect on Biff’s definition of happiness

early in Act 1?

3. What does Charley mean when he observes that, “for a salesman, there is no rock bottom

to the life”?

Answer ​Charley thinks Biff should not complain about Willy’s dream that he did for all those

year because he was a salesman and to be able to become wealthy for this job, they have

many factors behind the successful for example, the popularity of things that he sold.

4. Happy resolves to “show you and everybody else that Willy Loman did not die in vain.”

How might Happy do this? Do you think Happy is capable of doing this? Why or why not?

5. “We’re free . . . We’re free . . .” Which freedoms does Linda imply in her last lines at Willy’s

grave? Who has which freedoms

Answer ​she implies that she doesn’t need to pay the house payment anymore because she

has paid all of it. Inside her heart, she has one more meaning hidden which Willy will not be

at this house anymore and she doesn’t need to care about. Linda has freedom.