Instructor: Mr. Scheef Email: bscheefnu@hotmail.com Phone: 785-404-6831 Best Time: (A) Days 10:00-10:30 (B) Days 11:30-12:00 TEXT: Elements of Literature (Essential of American Literature 5 th Course) Holt Learning Goals and Objectives: Collection Five (5) Modern Literature 1914-1939 * Students will be able to define the term realism as it applies to American Literature * Students will be able to analyze the various viewpoints of: a. F. Scott Fitzgerald b. Ernest Hemingway c. Arthur Miller A DAY Monday March 26 English III Introduce: The Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller The American Dream With the use of Sparknotes research each assigned area and present to the class a DETAILED summation of that assigned area. DO NOT leave any significant element or piece of information out. Your evaluation will be based on the completeness of your summation. This is a GROUP grade work cooperatively as a team. All elements due Friday March 30 (BOC) Arthur Miller - Include a picture a. Biographical Review b. Life and Times c. Novels/plays written Arthur Miller - Include a picture d. Awards received e. Significance of Death of a Salesman Plot Overview Character s List - Detailed Description a. Willy Loman b. Biff Loman c. Happy d. Linda e. Charley f. Bernard g. Ben h. The Woman i. Howard We will present in this order. Austin Eric Logan Allison Themes (Define theme first) Stacy a. The American Dream and American Values How does The Death of a Salesman deal with both of these elements? b. Betrayal Motifs (Define motif first) Samantha a. Mythic Figures (Define mythic first) b. The American West, Alaska and African Jungle
Symbols (Define symbolism first) Shea a. Seeds b. Diamonds c. Linda and the woman s stockings, the rubber hose A DAY Wednesday March 28 English III Death of a Salesman Group research lab day A DAY Friday March 30 English III Death of a Salesman Group presentations - Due BOC For Tuesday read: The Death of a Salesman Act One (1) pages 11-69 A DAY Tuesday April 3 English III In Class Complete: Death of a Salesman Act One (1) reading quiz (possible) A detailed summation of the following be specific report back to the class. Use of power point etc. - Due Thursday - BOC Act 1 Shea Analysis Samantha Act 1 continued Stacy Analysis Allison Act 1 continued Logan Analysis Eric Act 1 continued and Analysis Austin A DAY Thursday April 5 English III For Tuesday read: Death of a Salesman Act One (1) Summations Death of a Salesman Act Two (2) and the Requiem A DAY Tuesday April 10 English III In Class Complete: Death of a Salesman Act Two (2) - Requiem reading quiz (possible) A detailed summation of the following be specific report back to the class. Use of power point etc. - Due Thursday - BOC Act II Stacy Analysis Austin Requiem Logan Allison Samantha Shea Eric
A DAY Thursday April 12 English III Groups present Death of a Salesman Act Two (2) - Requiem Summations Death of a Salesman Final Exam - Due Wednesday April 18 Premise: To What Extent was Willy Loman a Victim of the American Dream? a. For an A Three (3) Typed Pages (double spaced) b. For a C Two (2) Typed Pages (double spaced) c. For a D One (1) Typed Page (double spaced) For Monday Exam Option One: Exam Option Two: Lab Day - Hour Exam Preparation To what extent was Willy Loman a victim of the American Dream? Read the following excerpts In a group of no more than three (3) find a 15:00-20:00 minute segment from Death of the Salesman. Prepare a script analysis for each segment. In addition, each group is to provide the necessary props, costumes and music to adequately portray their DOS scene. Each performer may use a typewritten script to assist in the presentation of the lines. Death of a Salesman - Script Analysis (prepared individually) - BLK-BLU Ink a. Theme of the segment b. Protagonist c. Antagonist d. Complication e. Conflict f. Crisis g. Detailed description of the setting of the segment h. Detailed description of what the characters will look like. (costumes, hair etc.) i. Physical and emotional description of all the characters in the scene. j. De nouement (Does the conflict in the segment end? If so,how and why. If not, why not) k. Motivation (What motivates the characters to do what it is they do?) l. Segment summary (Discuss in detail what act, pages the segment is taken from and also explain what exactly happens during your 15-20:00 segment. Failure to meet the minimum time limit with result in a grade no higher than a D. To what extent was Willy Loman a victim of the American Dream? Read the following excerpts EXCERPT ONE: Former Tescott Student To answer this question it is necessary to look at the background of the author-arthur Miller, both the American dream and capitalism, and how incidents in the play link Willy to the American dream.
Arthur Miller was the son of an Austrian who had immigrated to America. Arthur was born in 1915, in New York where his father was earning a living as a clothes manufacturer. The family business was ruined in 1929 when the stock market crashed. Arthur paid for his own university education, and studied Economics, History, Journalism and Play writing. Arthur Millers father had moved to America to follow the great American Dream, believing America to be the land of opportunity. The American Dream meant the idea that any one could become a success no matter what they started with. EXCERPT TWO: Former Tescott Student In Death of A Salesman by Arthur Miller is critical of the capitalist system which is encouraging people to want more of the better goods on offer. Capitalism depends on the continual encouragement of wants. People must buy more in order to enable people to work producing these goods. The play describes the increase in desire for material goods (consumerism) which followed the war. Willy is not simply a victim of the American Dream, and, contrary to what was believed at the time, his failure to achieve such a dream was not his own fault, but the fault of the society in which he lived and its changing values. A DAY Monday April 16 English III Lab Day - Hour Exam Preparation A DAY Wednesday April 18 English III Hour Exams Due: Tuesday April 19 th a. Option A b. Option B A DAY Friday April 20 English III For Friday: Death of a Salesman Video