Themes, symbols, and motifs come alive when you use a storyboard. In this activity, students will identify themes and symbols from the play, and support their choices with details from the text. In the classroom, students can track the themes Miller uses in the play to express the tragedy of Willy Lohman.
The American Dream is the idea that no matter a person's background, anyone can achieve their goals through hard work and determination. In Death of a Salesman, Willy Loman's dream is to be a great salesman. He also believed that it was better to be well liked and have charisma than it is to work hard. However, it is his son, Biff, who realized in the end that Willy's dream was wrong and vows to live his life without regret.
Although usually meaning “adultery”, this can also mean a breach of trust and general disloyalty. In the play, Willy feels betrayed by Biff because his son does not fulfill the ambitions that he has for him. However, it is Biff who catches his father with another woman, shifting the onus of betrayal. Willy's infidelity comes full circle when the audience sees him gift a pair of stockings to his mistress while his wife is forced to sew the holes in her stockings.
To Willy, places like Alaska, the Jungle, and the Wild West represent the untapped potential and ambitions of a better life. His father found success in Alaska, and his brother Ben became rich in Africa, and he had high ambitions for Biff out west. For Willy, these exotic places were an escape from his hackneyed life in New York.
Throughout the play, many aspects of the home are mentioned. Owning your home and providing for your family are key components of the American Dream. For Willy it is a constant struggle; he can barely afford to keep his appliances. Even when he attempts to commit suicide by inhaling gas, he abandons the attempt after realizing his family needs it to heat the house, again showing his need to provide for the home.
In the play, Willy purchases a pair of new stockings for his mistress, while his wife is forced to sew hers because they cannot afford a new pair. This symbol not only serves as a reminder of Willy's infidelity, but also his failure to provide as a good husband and father to his wife and sons.
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Student Instructions
Create a storyboard that identifies recurring themes in Death of a Salesman. Illustrate instances of each theme and write a short description below each cell.
Encourage critical thinking by dividing students into small groups and assigning each group a major theme (like the American Dream, infidelity, or family expectations). Have groups prepare arguments and examples from the play to support their perspectives. Host a structured debate, allowing each side to present and respond. This activity fosters textual analysis and engaged discussion among students.
Distribute characters from the play to students or pairs. Instruct them to track how their character interacts with key symbols (like stockings or the house) throughout the story. Ask students to present their findings visually or in a short write-up. This helps deepen understanding of how symbols reveal character motives and conflicts.
At the end of a lesson, ask students to write a quick response to a prompt such as “Which theme from today’s discussion feels most relevant to your life, and why?” Collect the exit tickets to gauge understanding and foster personal connections to the material.
Invite students to write a short story or poem using one of the play’s motifs (like exotic places or the American Dream) as inspiration. Encourage them to explore how the motif shapes their character’s decisions. This boosts creativity and personal engagement with the text.
Death of a Salesman explores major themes such as the American Dream, infidelity, the significance of home, and the allure of exotic places. These themes highlight Willy Loman's struggles with success, trust, and self-worth.
Use a storyboard activity where students identify and illustrate key themes and symbols from the play, then write brief descriptions. This visual approach encourages engagement and deeper understanding in a short amount of time.
In the play, the American Dream is the belief that anyone can achieve success through hard work. However, Willy Loman's obsession with being well-liked over working hard ultimately leads to his downfall, challenging the traditional meaning of the dream.
Stockings symbolize both Willy's infidelity and his inability to provide for his family. The contrast between buying stockings for his mistress and his wife's need to mend hers highlights Willy's guilt and failures.
Have students create a storyboard that identifies recurring motifs like the home and exotic places. Ask them to illustrate each motif and write a short explanation, promoting analysis and creativity.