Death of a Salesman Study Guide

Glossary of Terms

archetype

original pattern on which other models are made

callous

a hardened personality

callus

parts of the hands hardened by hard work

crestfallen

dejected; dispirited; discouraged.

elegiac

expressing sorrow or lamentation

flunk

fail a class in school

gilt-edged

of the highest or best quality, kind, etc.

gregarious

outgoing; friendly

hallucination

an experience that does not exist outside of the mind

idyllic

suitable for or suggestive of an idyll; charmingly simple or rustic

integral

necessary part of the whole

laconic

using few words; expressing much in few words; concise

megalomania

obsession with oneself

mercurial

volatile; changeable

racket

illegal organized activity

Regents

New York State exams, required to graduate from high school

remiss

careless; not attending to duties

requiem

the Roman Catholic Mass celebrated for the repose of the souls of the dead.

simonize

to shine or polish to a high sheen, esp. with wax

Supreme Court

the highest court of law in America; the head of the judicial branch of the American government

The Great Depression

an economic turnback in the 1930s after the 1929 stock market crash

type

slang for "person," male or female

valise

a small bag used as hand luggage

wire recorder

a primitive recording device

wistful

sad; nostalgic

Yiddish

a German language with elements of Hebrew and Slavic languages