Death of a Salesman - Penn State College of Education.docVIP

Death of a Salesman Arthur Miller Unit Dates: Wednesday, January 5- Day One – Wed, Jan. 5 1. Read and discuss poems regarding family relationships: “Mother to Son” by Langston Hughes “My Papa’s Waltz” by Theodore Roethke Questions for the class after reading: “Mother to son” – Is there anything about the language of the poem that seems to support the poem’s message? (Imagery, word choice…) “My Papa’s Waltz” – How many saw this poem about a positive parent/child relationship? Negative? Why? Look at the language of the poem – Circle: positive connotation. Square: negative connotation. What do these poems tell us about some different types of relationships between parents and children? How much and what type of influence do you think the respective parental figures in the poems have over the children? 2. If there is time left, have the students write a reflection about their relationship with a parent/guardian. This is not a formal assignment, nor does it have to be in a certain form. It can be about the relationships or the influences that their parent has on them. Day Two – Thurs, Jan. 6 1. In order to become familiar with the author and his background, the class will read about Arthur Miller and the focus of his works. Group 1 – Tragedy and the Common Man Group 2 – Arthur Miller (Rubinstein) Group 3 – Biography Group 4 – Obituary General questions to discuss as a class: Where does he get his inspiration? The Greeks, Sophocles, Ibsen, stories of the “highly placed” He looked at Greek tragedies – he writes about the common man as they wrote about kings and princes. What does he like to write about? He likes to write about the trials and tribulations of people. Their experiences and misfortunes. Heroes and anti-heroes – pathetic men. Moral rectitude Finding your identity through others’ perceptions of you. Aging – how people got to be where they are Actions have consequences – individual’s responsibilities. “The aim of each of his plays was to discover whi