Today, we divided up the Act into scenes:
Opening to page 76: Stenson
Scene with Howard: 76=84 Amanda, Sam
Scene with Linda, Bend, Willy, flashback 84-90 Steve
Charely's office 90-98 Quinton
Restaurant Scene 98-116 Olivia
Woman/Willy/Biff scene 116-122 Isaias
Happy, Linda, Biff 122-125 Isaias
Garden scene 122-130 Graeme
Last Scene 130-136 Emma and Alex
Requiem Bryn
Free downloads on Death of a Salesman Several pdf's on this site that off good examples. Particularly good for style.
This weekend: Write three 40 minute essays. If you were away today, you can click on the link below and print them out. If the question for number 3 is the same as your novel question, choose a different play or novel to discuss OR choose a different question from your list of questions.
Three essay topics to be done this weekend
Monday: Death of a Salesman test: I'll give you a passage from the play. You annotate it, looking for style, syntax, theme, etc and answer the question in an essay.
Final musings regarding the play:
Biff: Moves from "I am nothing." to "I know who I am". He doesn't have to BE someone to feel proud, to love life, be respected, accept family, feel fulfilled. He represents the dignity of the common man. Realizes how wasteful Willy's death and life have been. He declares, "Everything is waiting for me the minute I say I know who I am." Realizes all that Willy taught him was wrong. Spent time in jail so he has paid his dues. He stole a suit, symbol of the dream stealing a man's worth. However, he really sees the futility of chasing the dream when he steals Oliver's pen, "What the hell am I grabbing this for? Why and I trying to become what I don't want to be? "I say I know who I am! Why can't I say that, Willy?"
Happy: Still stuck on the dream. Will follow in Willy's ignorant and dangerous footsteps to keep Willy's neglectful and harmful legacy alive.
Willy: Shocked that Biff loves him, even if he has not succeeded financially. "Isn't that remarkable? Biff--he likes me." Miller elicits sympathy for Willy because the dream is so pervasive. He was really tricked by it. He denied his own interests, health, family, respect to preserve the illusion. Despite questioning the dream, he still attempts to preserve it so that his kids have a good start, the 20,000 insurance money. Irony--a man is worth more dead than alive. No one comes to the funeral because he didn't spend anytime developing intimate relationships. His life was based on a superficial image.
Monday: Alex, Emma and Bryn will present and then we'll write the Salesman essay.
