Death of A Salesman Act II- Part I

Journal/Discussion: Nails Charlie Rhodes had a bad temper. No matter what his third grade teacher tried, nothing worked. One day when he got home, his father gave him a bag of nails and told him that every time he lost his temper, he must hammer a nail into the back of the fence. The first day after school, Charlie had driven 37 nails into the fence. Over the next few weeks, as he learned to control his anger, the number of nails hammered daily gradually dwindled. He discovered it was easier to hold his temper than to drive those nails into the fence. Finally, the day came when the boy didn’t lose his temper at all. He told his father about it, who then suggested the boy pull out one nail for each day he was able to hold his temper. The days passed, and Charlie was finally able to tell his father that all the nails were gone. The father took his son by the hand and led him to the fence. He said, “You have done well, Charlie. The fact that all the nails are gone show how far you’ve come.” Charlie smiled, happy he’d pleased his father. “But do you see those holes? Those are what your nails- your temper- have done. They don’t go away.” But the nails are gone, “Charlie argued. “Yes, “his father agreed, and then pointed at the holes. “But these don’t go away, and this is how you made people feel. And even I’m sorry doesn’t make them go away. They last forever.”

Journal Have you ever hammered a nail into someone? Did you do what was necessary to remove that nail or treat the scar? How does this relate back to Willy Loman?

Literature Term Focuses Tragic Hero- a great or virtuous character in a dramatic tragedy who is destined for downfall, suffering, or defeat Tragic Flaw- the character defect that causes the downfall

Tragic Hero A tragic hero is defined as, “a great or virtuous character in a dramatic tragedy who is destined for downfall, suffering, or defeat.” In our literary history we have many examples of the tragic hero.

Examples of Tragic Hero’s Macbeth The three points which contribute greatly to Macbeth's degeneration are the prophecy which was told to him by the witches, how Lady Macbeth influenced and manipulated Macbeth's judgment, and finally Macbeth's long time ambition which drove his desire to be king Hamlet Hamlet’s inability to act and to avenge his father’s death has led him, as well as many others to their bloody graves.

Literature Term Examples You should now have a good understanding of the tragic hero and the tragic flaw. Do you believe that Willy Loman is a tragic hero? Why or why not? What about Biff?

Characters in Act I – Part II Willy- Protagonist Linda- Wife Happy- Youngest Son Biff- Oldest Son Ben- Willy’s rich older brother. Charley- Willy’s next door neighbor that loves him dearly. Bernard- Charley’s son, Biff’s childhood friend, and a successful lawyer. Howard- Willy’s Boss Stanley- Bartender

Characterization The Paintbrush I keep my paintbrush with me, wherever I go, In case I need to cover up, so the real me doesn’t show. I’m so afraid to show you me; afraid of what you’ll do, I’m afraid you’ll laugh or say mean things; afraid I might lose you. I’d like to remove all the layers, to show you the real, true me, but I want you to try to understand; I need you to like what you see. So, if you’ll be patient and close your eyes, I’ll remove the coats real slow, please understand how much it hurts, to let the real me show. Now that the coats are all stripped off, I feel naked, bare, and cold, and if you still find me pleasing, you are my friend, pure as gold. I need to save my paintbrush though, and hold it in my hand, I need to keep it handy, in case someone doesn’t understand. So please protect me, my dear friend, and thanks for loving me true, and please let me keep my paintbrush with me, until I love me too.

Characterization What is Willy’s paintbrush? (Example: sarcasm, anger, shyness….. What does Willy try the hardest to cover up? (insecurity, ego, fear of failure……) Why? How would Willy’s life have turned out differently if he would have been able to remove his layers?

Discussion: Theme- The American Dream Now that we have come to the sad realization that Willy is never going to achieve the American Dream, lets talk about where he went wrong. Willy seems to have failed at his American Dream at every turn, why? Discuss the American Dream being specific to him. Did it have anything to do with his father? His brother? Explain. How could Willy of changed to make his American Dream a reality? Is it a matter of changing his American Dream or working harder to make the existing one come true? In your opinion could Willy have ever achieved any type of American Dream or were his faults too much to overcome?

Theme- Nostalgia/ Regret We, as the reader, only see the last 24 hours of his life, but Willy’s life has had some many more problems and regrets. Explore what we have been exposed to over the last 24 hours of Willy’s life, and discuss how it has affected him beyond those 24 hours. Example: How has need to always be on top and the most popular caused him regret?

Journal/Discussion: Perception Washington, DC Metro Station on a cold January morning in 2009. The man with a violin played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time approx. two thousand people went through the station, most of them on their way to work. After 3 minutes a middle aged man noticed there was a musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds and then hurried to meet his schedule.

Perception Continued... 4 minutes later: The violinist received his first dollar: a woman threw the money in the hat and, without stopping, continued to walk. 10 minutes: A 3-year old boy stopped but his mother tugged him along hurriedly. The kid stopped to look at the violinist again, but the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk, turning his head all the time. This action was repeated by several other children. Every parent, without exception, forced their children to move quickly. 45 minutes: The musician played continuously. Only 6 people stopped and listened for a short while. About 20 gave money but continued to walk at their normal pace. The man collects a total of $32. 1 hour: He finished playing and silence took over. No one noticed. No one applauded, nor was there any recognition.

Perception Continued... He finished playing and silence took over. No one noticed. No one applauded, nor was there any recognition. No one knew this, but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the greatest musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written, with a violin worth $3.5 million dollars. Two days before Joshua Bell sold out a theater in Boston where the seats averaged $100. This is a true story. Joshua Bell playing incognito in the metro station was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, taste and people’s priorities

Perception Continued... In commonplace environment at an inappropriate hour, do we perceive beauty? Do we stop to appreciate it? Do we recognize talent in an unexpected context? Why or why not? If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world, playing some of the finest music ever written, with one of the most beautiful instruments ever made…. How many other things are we missing?

Act II – Discussion Questions Do you believe that Willy made a huge mistake by not going to Alaska with his brother? Explain. Willy makes a statement that Charley his only friend and then he says that it’s a remarkable thing…. Why?