Death of a Salesman
Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller is assigned in US schools at grades 11–12. It appears across 2 curriculum references, sourced from state DOE pages and AP/IB/Common Core syllabi. Every citation below links to the primary source.
This page shows where Death of a Salesman is assigned in US schools — curricula, states, grades, and the primary-source citations behind each placement. Not a summary or study guide.
Where to find this book
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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.
Why widely assigned
This Drama title, typically at grades 11–12. Written in the 1940s; pairs with curriculum units on American Dream and failure; cited across 2 curriculum frameworks.
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
Common Core State Standards (ELA)
Similar grade-level books
Lord of the FliesWilliam Golding · 770L
The Great GatsbyF. Scott Fitzgerald · 1070L
1984George Orwell · 1090L
Fahrenheit 451Ray Bradbury · 890L
See all books like Death of a Salesman→ — matched on theme + reading level.
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.
- How long does it take to read Death of a Salesman?
- It takes about 2h 40m to read Death of a Salesman (144 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 160 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
- 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.
Why this book is on this list
Each dimension below is sourced from a public reference. The full framework is documented on the classification standard page.
- Lexile measure
- Not classified — this book has no published Lexile measure.
- Grade band
- Grades 11–12 — drawn from state ELA frameworks and AP/IB syllabi citing this book.
- Curriculum alignment
- Cited in 2 curricula on this site (see “Where assigned” above for primary-source links).
- State-level evidence
- Not yet documented in a state-level framework on this site.
- Removal / banning records
- No tracked removal or challenge records in cited sources.
- Seasonal / contextual tags
- No seasonal or program-specific tags on this book.