1. Monday, November 7, 2016 HW: Essay test in class on Wednesday
Agenda: Review of the important articles you read last week Prepare for essay test
Monday, November 7, 2016
HW: Essay test in class on Wednesday

2. Big Ideas from “Making Willy Loman”
Willy Loman represent a lot of different people in Miller’s life, including himself. “exhaustion masquerading as gaiety” There are several examples of men that refuse to accept the present so they live in the past. They’re holding on to a promise, but that promise was already broken. “Mad competition in America” –it still exists. Are we still competing ourselves to death?

3. Big Ideas from “Tragedy and the Common Man”
Here is Miller’s thesis: “I believe that the common man is as apt a subject for tragedy in its highest sense as kings were.” This is what tragedy means to him: “As a general rule, to which there may be exceptions unknown to me, I think the tragic feeling is evoked in us when we are in the presence of a character who is ready to lay down his life, if need be, to secure one thing-his sense of personal dignity.” Here is the tragic flaw: “an inherent unwillingness to remain passive in the face of what he conceives to be a challenge to his dignity, his image of his rightful status.”

4. “Tragedy and the Common Man”
Here’s what really scare us: “The quality in such plays that does shake us, however, derives from the underlying fear of being displaced, the disaster inherent in being torn away from our chosen image of what and who we are in this world. Among us today this fear is strong, and perhaps stronger, than it ever was. In fact, it is the common man who knows this fear best.” Our environment is fairly stable this days, and the miseries and indignities are “born and bred” in our minds. This is key: “In the tragic view the need of man to wholly realize himself is the only fixed star, and whatever it is that hedges his nature and lowers it is ripe for attack and examination.”

5. “Tragedy and the Common Man”
Finally: “The possibility of victory must be there in tragedy. Where pathos rules, where pathos is finally derived, a character has fought a battle he could not possibly have won. The pathetic is achieved when the protagonist is, by virtue of his witlessness, his insensitivity, or the very air he gives off, incapable of grappling with a much superior force.” Keeping in mind the battle might be an internal one, how does this apply to Willy Loman? What’s the superior force? The answer to this question is in the neighborhood of the overall meaning of this play.

6. Who is Willy Loman?
Check out this model obituary!

7. Essay Test Instructions
Answer one of the questions.
Responses should begin with a one sentence introduction that serves as a thesis statement.
Each body paragraph should provide a focused topic/reason to support your answer (or thesis statement), which is stated in the topic sentence.
Each body paragraph should also include several carefully selected quotations from the play.
You must cite from “Making Willy Loman” by John Lahr at least once.
In-text citation punctuation must be correct. Here is an example of what your in-text citations will look like:
After Biff begs his father to come inside and explain things to Linda, Willy replies nervously, “No, no, I don’t want to see her” (128).
While citing Lahr’s article, do not worry about page numbers. Just be sure that you make it clear that you are citing Lahr by using a phrase like “According to John Lahr, …” or by adding (Lahr) after a direct quotation.
Write a brief and thought-provoking conclusion that points to the overall meaning of the work as a whole.
Write from third person point of view.
Proofread your work.

8. Today’s Objective
I will synthesize a thesis statement to answer the test question.
I will synthesize a theme statement to represent the takeaway of Death of a Salesman.

9. Discussion Groups Discuss the overall meaning of the play.
In about 5 minutes you’ll present your initial ideas to the whole group.

10. Theme The central idea or meaning of a story.
It provides a unifying point around which the plot, characters, setting, point of view, symbols, and other elements of a story are organized.

11. Theme
Many stories share identical topics or subject, such as fate, death, innocence, loneliness, disillusionment.
But each story makes its own statement about the subject and expresses some view of life.

12. Example Subject : revenge
Theme: Instead of providing satisfaction, revenge defeats the best in one’s self.

13. Warning:
A tendency to look for a lesson in a story can produce a reductive and inaccurate formulation of its theme.
Clichés/short-circuit ideas.

14. Under circumstances of ______________________, some people will __________________________, but others will ____________________.

15. Under circumstances of fearing one’s insignificance, some will ____
When a person wants to “make it big,” some will _____

16. Under the intense pressure of “mad competition” in America, one can either accept who he is and do the things that give him purpose, or one can insist on chasing the illusive American dream and be doomed.

17. Your Task: If you haven’t already, decide on a question.
Write a thesis statement. (This sentence should answer the essay test question in a broad way so that you can explore it more deeply in the body paragraphs.)
Write a theme statement. (This sentence is the takeaway –the little firework you are planning to set off in the conclusion.)

18. Outline
Thesis: The reason Biff steals evolves throughout his life. Body Paragraph #1: Here’s the first reason he steals. Here are some examples and some explanation. Body Paragraph #2: In his adult years, this is the reason he steals. Here are some examples and some explanation. Conclusion: All of this points to THE TAKEAWAY! Biff got all mixed up, but _______ *The conclusion of this essay should be more than one sentence.