Death of a Salesman Study Guide

The play opens with a lengthy description of the Loman house. Miller writes detailed stage directions, with lighting, sound, and prop placement, signifying the movement of every item and every character in his play. The home is a simple house, sitting before a surplus of apartment complexes in Brooklyn, New York. The tall, angular silhouette of Manhattan lies in the backdrop. Light slowly appears on the stage, while a flute plays in the background. The home is simple and realistic, with only a few items representing the respective rooms: kitchen, living room, bedroom, and boys' bedroom, steeped with trophies. (read more)