Death of a Salesman
by Arthur Miller
- Grade range
- Grades 11–12
- Age range
- Ages 16–18
- Pages
- 144
- First published
- 1949
- Genre
- Drama
- ISBN-13
- 9780140481341
About this book
An aging traveling salesman, Willy Loman, grapples with failure and delusion as his career and family collapse around him. Miller's Pulitzer-winning play is a staple of 11th and 12th grade American Literature, AP English Literature, and IB DP drama syllabi.
Themes
- American Dream
- failure
- mental health
- fatherhood
- capitalism
Content notes
- suicide
- infidelity
- mental illness
Common Sense Media recommends age 14+.
Where this book is assigned
AP English Literature & Composition
- recommended· 12th gradesource: AP Lit drama representative text
Common Core State Standards (ELA)
- recommended· 12th gradesource: CCSS ELA Appendix B, grades 11-CCR drama exemplar
Similar grade-level books
Common questions
- What grade level is Death of a Salesman?
- Death of a Salesman is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 11–12. Specific grade placement varies by curriculum — AP Literature and IB English Literature typically use it in grades 11-12.
- What curricula assign Death of a Salesman?
- Death of a Salesman appears on reading lists for AP English Literature & Composition, Common Core State Standards (ELA). Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
- Is Death of a Salesman banned in schools?
- Death of a Salesman does not appear in PEN America's Index of School Book Bans 2022-2024. No documented multi-district removals on record, but individual districts may challenge titles locally.
- What themes does Death of a Salesman explore?
- Central themes in Death of a Salesman include American Dream, failure, mental health, fatherhood, capitalism. These themes match how the book is discussed in most curriculum guides and AP Literature prompts.