Death of a Salesman (Act 2) by

Arthur Miller
(GROUP 11)

Amor, Jacqueline
Camorongan, Lalaine
Padua, Sheilamae
I-OBJECTIVES

At the end of one hour lesson, the students should be

able to do the following:

1. Identify the play's main and minor characters.

2. Discuss how the decisions of the main characters
affect their lives.
3. Present the timeline of events that happen in the Death
of a Salesman (Act 2) by Arthur Miller
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II- SUBJECT MATTER

Topic: Death of a Salesman (Act 2) by Arthur Miller

Reference:
Almonte, Liza R. et al., (2014). A Journey Through Anglo-
American Literature Learner's Material, pp. 544-590.

Materials :
laptop
cellphone
ppt
copy of Death of a Salesman 3(Act 2) by Arthur Miller
III- PROCEDURE
A. Activity/Activate
Success: “How Can You Picture Me?”

The teacher will show pictures which consists of images which are related
to the characters of the play-Death of a Salesman: Act II by Arthur Miller. The
students will choose which one or who they think is the symbol of success. The
teacher will flash each picture on the screen and the students will open their
cameras on as the time their chosen picture was shown. After that, the teacher
will ask for volunteers to explain their reasons upon choosing the picture.

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5
B. ANALYZE/ANALYSIS

Before the day of the discussion, the teacher will already let
the students read the play, Death of a Salesman ACT 11 on
their books. The teacher will divide the class into 14 groups
and each group will be assigned in presenting the play on the
class. And at the day of the discussion, the respective groups
will present their assigned parts in the class and the teachers
will ask questions about that specific part of the story after
each presenter finished discussing. The presentation of the
students will be given a maximum time of 5 minutes.
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Group 1 - 544-547
How can you describe the mood of Willy at the beginning of the play and how it was changed?
Answer: At the beginning part of the play, Willy woke up with a good mood but he became angry
when Linda reminded him about their bills.

What do you think is the reason why Willy felt nervous upon seeing Linda mending a stocking?
Answer: Willy felt nervous after seeing Linda mend a stocking because it reminded him of his
mistress in Boston.

Group 2 - 548-553
Who is Dave Singleman? How does this person influence the principle of Willy in life?
Answer: Dave Singleman is one of the salesman whom Willy aspires to become. According to
Willy’s story, David Singleman is a salesman who called his buyers through a phone call and
made a living without leaving his room at the age of 84. After he died the noble “death of a
salesman”, hundreds of salesmen and buyers attended his funeral. The idea of having many
people attend the funeral made Willy think that Singleman was very charismatic and was well-
liked by everyone. 7
Group 3 - 553-555
Who is Ben?
Answer: Ben is Willy's adventurous and lucky older brother who was already dead.
What is Willy' expectation towards his sons' future?
Answer: Willy is convinced he and the boys will become just as rich and successful as Ben.

Group 4 - 556-557
Who is Charley?
Answer: Charley is Willy Loman's neighbor and only friend who gives Willy money to pay his
bills. Willy is jealous of Charley's success

Group 5 - 557-560
What event triggers Willy to become angry and resentful?
Answer: Bernard asks Willy what happened to Biff in Boston and Willy cannot accept the fact that
Bernard sounds like he’s blaming Willy for Biff’s failure.
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Group 6- 560-563
What do you think is the reason why Willy refused to accept the job offered by Charley?
Answer: Because Willy had always been angry at Charley and is jealous of how successful he is
today. Ever since from the start, Willy felt like they have always been in a competition that’s why
Willy, as a man full of pride and ego, may have thought that working for him would sound
embarrassing.

Group 7- 563-568
What happened between Oliver and Biff?
Answer: Biff went to Oliver's office and waited six hours to see him, but Oliver did not remember him
at all.
Why does Happy directs Biff not to reveal to Willy what happened?
Answer: Because they do not want their father’s condition to get worse, since he’s already behaving
like he’s losing his mind.

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Group 8- 568-571
Why can’t Willy allow Biff to fail?
Answer: Willy cannot allow Biff to fail because that will only magnify his own breakdown.

Group 9- 571-575
What is the reason why Biff took Oliver's pen?
Answer: Biff is known to be a kleptomaniac. It is the inability to resist the urges of stealing things.

Group 10- 576-581

Do you think Willy is right in saying that Biff is "no good for anything”?
Answer: No, because Biff have gained achievements during high school and he still got his job but it is
just that Willy pushes him to become someone he wants him to become, which is becoming a salesman.

Group 11- 581-582

What revelation is presented regarding the reason why Biff have failed Math?
Answer: Biff saw his father having an affair with another woman that is why he had lost his trust with
him and also lost his hope to improve himself.
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Why is Linda furious to Happy and Biff?
Answer: Linda is furious with the boys because they left Willy at the restaurant.

Group 12- 582-584

What is Ben’s assumption about Willy measuring the dimensions of the garden and talking to
himself?
Answer: Ben thinks that Willy had plan to commit suicide.

Group 13- 585-587

What did Biff say to Willy that you can consider unacceptable? If you were Willy, how
would you feel about it?
Answer: Biff confronts Willy with the rubber hose and tells him he will not pity him if he
commits suicide. If I were willy, I would be extremely hurt about it because my child can
throw that words to me, as if I was not his parent.

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What is the reason why Biff plans to leave home forever?
Answer: Biff informs Willy that he is leaving home forever, severing all ties with their family.

Group 14- 588-590

Why did Willy think of killing his own life?
Answer: Willy is convinced that Biff will respect him even more if he commits suicide in order to
gain the insurance policy.

What do you think is the root cause of their problem within their family? And how do their
decisions lead them from what they have been in life?
Answer: The root cause of their problem is their lack of acceptance towards the truth. They have
lived their life with a lie and pretending that they are financially capable but actually they’re not.
Also, they based their principles in life from other person’s experience and they have forgot to
follow their own passions. Pride is also shown, dominantly by Willy and he used to make himself
believe to the unrealistic dream of him.
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C. ABSTRACT/ABSTRACTION

Enrichment Activity

The students will be divided into 5 groups. Their task is to show

a creative presentation about how the major characters are
presented in the play, Death of a Salesman: Act II. The students
will be separated and grouped through the break out rooms in
the MS Teams for their preparation of their presentation

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Generalization
The hard work of individuals to satisfy their daily routine is normally the norm of the daily life.
The world is full of evil, and much of its misfortunes are in competition with one another. Individuals
have a propensity to be ambitious in their everyday lives, with many misfortunes bearing the
headlines of their mission completion. Willy Loman, the central character in Arthur Miller's play
Death of a Salesman, is confronted with a series of tragedies after being caught cheating on his wife
while on the road and for his losing career. Arthur's play is intended to convey to society that any good
story contains a twist that depicts an amusing circumstance. Willy is enthusiastic about raising his
children, but he has been a greedy father and a man full of pride for a long time. Despite his
misfortune, he strives to provide his family with a safe and pleasant lifestyle. These actions are a
product of American society, in which a distinction is drawn between achieving success and living a
good life. Willy commits suicide at the end of the play, earning the title "Death of a Salesman". His
funeral was attended by his brother Charlie and his family, but he had no true friends. Arthur states
that there are times in a person's life that they must set their own interests aside in order to please their
families and atone for their mistakes. At the end Willy thought that his actions would lead to an
insurance compensation to his family and sparing the shame in the scandal that his life had been
based. The play depicts the harsh reality of life in a struggling family and a man blinded with pride
and ambition. 14
D. APPLY/APPLICATION

Teacher: Please bring out a ¼ sheet of paper for a short quiz.

Teacher: Choose the letter of the correct answer.

Number 1, What did Willy wanted to do when he woke up the next morning and mulled over
the “Florida idea”?
a. Go to work
b. Plant seeds
c. Buy Linda some gifts
d. Go to Frank’s Chop House
Number 2, How does Howard continually refer to Willy during their conversation about
Willy’s salary?
a. Boss
b. Sir
c. Kid
d. Lods 15
Number 3, Who was the 84-year-old salesman that Willy admires and aspires to become?
a. David Singleman
b. Charlie Chaplin
c. Howard Wagner
d. Linda Loeman
Number 4, What does Willy think is the key to success?
a. Working hard
b. Being well-liked
c. Befriending the superior
d. Owning a business
Number 5, Why did the young Biff come to his father in Boston?
a. To ask how was his father’s work
b. To ask his father to persuade his teacher not to fail him in his math class
c. To tell that his mother is having an affair
d. To tell that Charley’s family is becoming more and more successful than them

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Number 6, Which character does not symbolize a type of success that Willy never achieves?
a. Bernard
b. Stanley
c. Charley
d. Ben
Number 7, Why did Biff stole Oliver’s fountain pen?
a. Because it was beautiful
b. Because it was his mother’s favourite pen
c. Because he wanted to use it for his work
d. Because he was a kleptomaniac
Number 8, What causes the rift between Biff and Willy Loman?
a. Biff has unrealistic expectations about his father’s success
b. Willy is disappointed that Biff refuses to go to college
c. Willy finds that Biff is stealing
d. Biff finds that Willy is having an affair
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Number 9, What title does Biff accept for himself after Linda berates him for
leaving Willy in the restaurant alone?
a. Stupid
b. Scum of the Earth
c. Douchebag
d. Defiler
Number 10, What is the significance of Willy’s car accident on the bridge?
a. Willy cannot deal with the modern technology
b. Willy’s body is getting weaker and weaker
c. Willy is experiencing periods of Dementia
d. Willy is suicidal

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ANSWERS:
Teacher: Okay, exchange papers with your seatmates and check your
answers:
1. B. plant seeds
2. C. kid
3. A. David Singleman
4. B. well-liked
5. B. to ask his father to persuade his teacher not to fail him in his
math class
6. B. Stanley
7. D. Because he was a kleptomaniac
8. D. Biff finds that Willy is having an affair
9. B. Scum of the Earth
10. D. Willy is suicidal
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IV- ASSIGNMENT

Reflect on this!

For your assignment, please make an essay by answering

the question, “What do you think would happen if Willy
swallowed his pride and accepted Charley’s job offer?”

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