English 1301

 Pick up your writing folders and the revised syllabus (front table). Then answer the questions for today’s “pop” quiz. 1. How long must the essay be? (minimum requirement) 2. Which is correct? A. “Death of a Salesman” B. Death of A Salesman C. Death of a Salesman 3. The primary source (the play) should be quoted how many times per body paragraph? (minimum) 4. The secondary sources should be quoted how many times each? 5. True or False: The entire essay is due tomorrow, Wednesday, November 13th, with works cited page.

 Final essay is due on Tuesday of next week. Please submit in a large manila envelope. No folders!  From top to bottom: 1. Final essay with works cited page attached. 2. Turnitin.com receipt 3. Copies of all secondary sources. Should demonstrate evidence of annotation. Note cards/source cards attached. 4. One rough draft with handwritten-evidence of revision (from Wednesday’s workshop)

 What question should a thesis answer?  What is the purpose of a thesis?  What language should I use to guide the wording of my thesis?

 Willy uses his own death as a last ditch effort to attain this dream but before his death he would have never attained this dream. Is this a thesis? What are the issues with wording/syntax? What revisions are necessary in order to make this statement a thesis?

 In Death of a Salesman, Arthur Miller portrays how Americans become overwhelmed by the generalized idea of the American Dream.  Does the writer offer an argument?  What revisions are necessary?  Does the thesis need to be more specific?

 The way society is structured affects people’s daily lives, but it is also the way someone decides to handle the situation that ultimately alters them the most.  Being alive is ignoring the greed and ignoring the constant chase for material things and focusing on what truly makes a person happy in their life.

 Willy’s ego taints his success and his death ultimately reveals the pursuit to attain wealth as a higher importance than life with his family himself.  Willy Loman strives to achieve this dream through his ambitious hard work, but ultimately fails to do so because it is an impossible goal to reach the generalized American Dream.

 Examine Willy Loman’s version of the American Dream, his attempts to attain it, and what his death reveals about the nature of the quest.  Who is the author?  What is the author’s argument regarding the American Dream?  How does Willy’s story become a vehicle for that argument?

 Introduction should establish the context of the argument and lead to a specific assertion about the play.  The conclusion allows you to make a judgment based on the thematic context.  Avoid referring to other pieces of literature, your own experiences, etc. Focus on the play and the prompt.

 How does the rhetorical device contribute to the author’s craft, tone, argument?