“The American Dream”
According to many, “The American Dream”
is the capitalist belief that if you work hard
enough you can be a success in America.
Do you agree or disagree with that
definition of “The American Dream”?
Explain why.
“Restoring the American Dream”
Time Magazine November 1, 2010
Introduction
Going Global
Recapturing
the Dream
What We
Need to Do
Now
The Work
Ahead
What is the
current state of
the American
Dream and the
American
middle class?
To what extent
have America’s
corporations
gone global?
What would be
the wrong way
to go about
improving the
American
economy?
How would
each of the
following
strategies help
the American
economy?
What is wrong
with America’s
current system
of government?
What are some
possible
solutions for
improving the
American
economy?
-Shift to
investment
How has
globalization
affected the
American
economy?
-Training and
education
-Fiscal sanity
-Benchmarks
How did the
term “American
Dream”
originate?
Can the
American
Dream be
restored? If so,
how?
Homework: Due Next Class


Write a one-page essay (handwritten)
in response to the question, What
does the American Dream mean to
you?
Pay attention to:
– Clarity of ideas and support
– Organization/structure
– Spelling/grammar
Opening Activity


We will be reading the play called
Death of a Salesman.
Write a prediction of what you think
the play will be about. Consider
different meanings of the word
“death.”
Essential Questions






What is a tragedy, and why do we enjoy
watching it?
Is there anything to criticize about our
American capitalist system?
How do society’s values influence one’s
ideas of success?
How does one attain success in one’s life?
How do one’s parents influence one’s own
values, worldview, and morals?
Is there such a thing as the American
Dream, and do people ever attain it?
Setting of Death of a
Salesman

Time:
– Late 1940s
– Structure:
Most action takes place during 24 hours
between Monday night and Tuesday night
 Daydreams/flashbacks into past occur
frequently
 Requiem takes place a few days after
Tuesday night


Place:
– Brooklyn, NY
– Various places in New York and Boston
Author’s Comments on
Daydreams/Flashbacks
“There are no flashbacks in this play
but only a mobile concurrency of
past and present…because in his
desperation to justify his life Willy
Loman has destroyed the boundaries
between now and then.“
-Arthur Miller
Salesmen in the late 1940s
Obstacles:
 WWII (ended in
1945)
 Women went to work
 Struggling economy
 Distrust
 Beginning of
television
commercials
http://www.youtube.com/watc
h?v=m7t9YlMxWoE
Establishing the Set
Activity



Read the staging directions on p. 11-12.
Create a sketch of the set (with color).
Write whether the set seems positive or
negative, and include key
words/phrases from the text that show
the mood.
Assignment


Read the “Introduction” and “The
Playwright” sections in your Death of a
Salesman Study Guide.
Answer the following questions in
complete sentences (will be turned in).
1. Why does Death of a Salesman impact
audiences?
2. What historical events may have influenced
Miller in writing Death of a Salesman?
3. What are some connections between
Milller’s life and Death of a Salesman?
Casting for Death of a Salesman:
Group Assignment



Choose a modern actor to play each of the
characters in the Loman family (Willy, Linda, Biff,
and Happy), and then choose one additional
character. (5 CHARACTERS TOTAL!)
Create a PowerPoint slide for each character.
– Write down each of the characters’ names and
who will play them.
– Include at least 3 sentences or bullet points
explaining why the actors would be right for
the role you’ve put them in.
– Also, include a picture of each of the actors.
The finished PowerPoint will be presented to the
class.
Willy Loman:
Anthony Hopkins



At the age of 73, he can
pass for being Willy’s
age, 63.
Although he is from
Wales, he can speak with
an American accent.
He is strong in intense,
dramatic roles and in
playing insane characters
(The Mask of Zoro, The
Silence of the Lambs).
Comedy vs. Tragedy

Comedy:
– Light
– Happy ending

Tragedy:
– Serious
– Unhappy ending
Is Death of a Salesman a comedy or
tragedy?
Elements of Tragedy



Comic Relief - A bit of humor injected into a
serious play to relieve the heavy tension of
tragic events
Tragic Hero - A privileged, exalted character
of high repute, who, by virtue of a tragic flaw
and fate, suffers a fall from glory into suffering
Tragic Flaw - A character trait that leads the
tragic hero to his/her own downfall or
destruction
How does Death of a Salesman incorporate
these elements of tragedy?
Requiem p. 137-139


Requiem= Mass celebrated for the dead
– Epilogue= Postscript or addition after
the ending
Takes place a few days after Willy’s
death
Study Questions p. 137-139
1.
2.
3.
Why is it a surprise to Linda that Charley
and Bernard are the only people from
outside the family to show up at Willy’s
funeral?
What is Biff’s understanding of his father’s
life, and how is it different from Happy’s
understanding of his father’s life?
Why are the last words of the play, “We’re
free”?
Elements of Drama
When characters speak in a play, their words can be…
1. Dialogue - Two or more characters
conversing with each other
2. Monologue - A single character
(on stage with others) speaking
without another character’s
response
2
3. Soliloquy - A single character (on
stage alone) thinking out loud; a
way of letting the audience know
what is in the character's mind
4. Aside - A single character speaking
words directly to the audience or
privately to another character; not
“heard” by other characters
1
3
4
When characters speak in a
play, their words can be…



Dialogue - Two or more
characters conversing with
each other
Monologue - A single
character (on stage with
others) speaking without
another character’s response
Soliloquy - A single character
(on stage alone) thinking out
loud; a way of letting the
audience know what is in the
character's mind
“Tragedy and the Common Man”

After reading the essay, answer one of the
following questions in a Claim, Evidence,
Interpretation paragraph.
1. What causes readers to have “the tragic
feeling” about a character?
2. What causes characters to develop a “tragic
flaw”?
3. Why do readers tend to feel more
passionately about a common tragic hero
than they feel about a noble or high-ranking
tragic hero?
4. Why does tragedy tend to show “more
optimism than comedy”?