Open Prompt #3 Revision

982. In great literature, no scene of violence exists for its own sake. Choose a work of literary merit that confronts the reader or audience with a scene or scenes of violence. In a well-organized essay, explain how the scene or scenes contribute to the meaning of the complete work. Avoid plot summary.

In Anthony Burgess' A Clockwork Orange, violence is a very normal part of the characters' society. The story takes place in a fictionalized future where kids are increasingly more prone to violent acts. Alex, the protagonist, leads a gang in his town that either fights other gangs, beats up the men or rapes the women in his community. To pass the time when they are not committing these crimes, the group hangs out at local bars. In this work of literature, through these violent acts and Alex's society, Burgess tries to surpass the literal meaning of the idea of violence and shows his thoughts on today's society through satire. 

Burgess implements the theme of violence in society's youth in this story because it shows the change in how people were bringing up their children. Burgess may have noticed, in his own community, a leniency toward older values and how strictly people tended to be toward their kids. Perhaps Burgess was trying to warn others of this loosening of morals through a satirical way in A Clockwork Orange. By showing a group of 15 years old wreaking havoc throughout town and committing almost unfathomable crimes, I think Burgess' point is more shocking to its readers (also, consider the time period that this book was written in. Society was not as exposed to violence as it is today).  

Another use of Burgess' scenes of violence is the idea of a lack of self discipline and empowerment. Perhaps Burgess is trying to suggest that he is noticing that people feel that they are only powerful when putting down others. Alex, in the story, describes a rush he gets when committing these crimes, and how he feels untouchable. By scaring his audience by showing them the lengths that people will go to to feel better about themselves, I think Burgess hopes to show his audience that the greatest satisfaction should only come from believing in yourself, not from the expense of others.

Burgess also is trying to stress how short term satisfaction is no substitute for long term satisfaction. Although Alex may feel a high from these acts of violence, hours later, he is down again, resulting in more crimes. Burgess wants people to achieve a long term happiness, and to accomplish something bigger.  

Burgess uses scenes of violence as a method of satire to show his society the results of poor discipline in both our youth and ourselves. 

Response to Course Material #7

In class we've finished Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead. It was one of the hardest works of literature we've had to annotate by far. I thought the language itself in Ros and Guil wasn't as difficult to understand as Hamlet, but the meaning behind the work was very analytically challenging, whereas Hamlet had a very plot driven, straightforward approach. Another reason I found Ros and Guil difficult to get through was that both the characters spent half the book in confusion, trying to figure out who was who, why they were doing what they were, and where they even were. Their confusion made me confused. 

Other than Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, we have been working on writing AP essays and answering AP multiple choice. Even though the test is only two months away, I'm still struggling to do both of these things! But two months is plenty of time to improve, and I'm sure the in-class practice will help a lot. By writing our own AP questions and answers, I can recognize the format of the questions and eliminate the wrong answers more easily. Over time, I'm sure this skill will come more easily to me. 

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead

Author: Tom Stoppard

Setting: Nowhere and Denmark

Plot: The play starts with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern on an empty stage flipping a coin. After flipping the coin several times and getting only heads as a result, Guil ponders this strange unlikely probability, while Ros ignores it. This strange coin phenomena leads Guil to wonder about their location and how Ros and Guil got to where they currently are, and why they are there, and what their purpose is. Soon, they are approached by a band of players who call themselves the Tragedians. After suggesting their true trade to Ros and Guil, they ask if Ros and Guil would be interested in partaking in a sexual en devour. Of course, since Ros is a bit slower, he is confused about this offer, until Guil decides to take up a bet with the players. Guil wins, and then the scene suddenly changes. 

Ros and Guil now find themselves in Denmark in the castle. Hamlet and Ophelia enter arguing and then leave. Then Claudius approaches Ros and Guil and ask them to find out what is troubling Hamlet. While asking the two for their help, the king mistakes Ros for Guil. 

Then Ros and Guil start a game of questions, a game commonly played in theater. They attempt to reenact a scenario in which Guil pretends to be Hamlet, and Ros questions him about his state of mind. They finally deduce the reason behind Hamlet's madness, which is his father was murdered by his uncle, who then took his spot on the throne. After this revelation, they ponder how they can help Hamlet in his state of madness or is Hamlet is really mad at all. 

The players arrive at the castle and announce that there will be a play the next day. There is then discussion about the play, and how Hamlet wants everyone in the castle to attend the play. Afterwards, Hamlet and Ophelia have their argument about Ophelia going to a nunnery. 

The stage blacks out. It is the next day, and the King ask for Ros and Guil's help in finding Hamlet, because he just killed Polonius. The scene changes again, and Ros and Guil are bringing Hamlet to England under the King's orders. They find themselves on a boat, confused as before. They are uncertain of why they are on a boat and why they must escort Hamlet away. They quickly remember, and find out that Hamlet is to be killed in England and it is one of the King's devilish plots. Later, while Ros and Guil are sleeping, Hamlet switches the letters to order that Ros and Guil are instead killed. 

Hamlet escapes, leaving Ros and Guil on the boat with the players. The players kill Ros and Guil on the boat. 

The last scene is back at the castle where everyone is dead. Horatio closes the play with the last speech of Hamlet. 

Significant Characters:

Rosencrantz-- Best friends with Guildenstern. He is not the sharpest tool in the shed, and is generally more carefree than Guil. He is a happy-go-lucky fellow that is easily confused, and enjoys flipping coins and calling "heads." Other than Guil, his other friend in the story is Hamlet... supposedly. 

Guildenstern--  Best friends with Rosencrantz. Guil often pretends to know more than he does and tries to sound smarter than he actually is. He is always contemplating his situation and his life and trying to find out his purpose. He is more aware than Ros is, but is a little slow as well. He likes to think he has more control over his life than he does. 

Player --  Leader of the band of traveling players. He seems to be more aware of the plot of Hamlet and understands fate more than Ros and Guil. He is witty and confident, but selfish as well, as evident in the fact that he was willing to give up Alfred for money. 

Narrative Tone/Style:

The narrative style is told from an outside point of view so we can see different characters at different times. By doing this, we as the audience can get a better idea of each characters’ intentions and motives since we know what they are really thinking and don’t have to rely on a narrator. Unlike Hamlet, the tone of this play is more lighthearted, despite the audience knowing the inevitable fate of Ros and Guil. 

 

Theme: The theme of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead is that we are just parts of a bigger story, but we all are important. Although Ros and Guil are just used to move the plot along in Hamlet, we see in Stoppard's play that they do have separate important roles. 

Quotes: "Audiences know what to expect, and that is all they are prepared to believe in." This quote revolves around the idea of fate and that everything is predestined. Viewers of this play know what will inevitably happen to Ros and Guil, even though they really have done nothing wrong. Stoppard's play makes the audience sympathize with Ros and Guil, because they were friendly people who were just confused and doing what they were told to do the whole time. This elaborates on how was ultimately have no control over our lives. 

“Life in a box is better than no life at all, I expect. You'd have a chance at least. You could lie there thinking: Well, at least I'm not dead.” This quote shows how we should all be appreciative of our lives. Although Hamlet's life sucked a lot, this quote is telling him to look at the things he does have, and focus on those, instead of running around trying to make his life go back to the way he envisioned it. 

Open Prompt #2 Revision

2007, Form B. Works of literature often depict acts of betrayal. Friends and even family may betray a protagonist; main characters may likewise be guilty of treachery or may betray their own values. Select a novel or play that includes such acts of betrayal. Then, in a well-written essay, analyze the nature of the betrayal and show how it contributes to the meaning of the work as a whole.

The Uglies by Scott Westerfeld is a novel set 300 years in the future after the society we know today collapses. A new society forms where kids must undergo an operation that biologically enhances the features of these people to meet a certain standard of beautiful at the age of sixteen. From a young age, these kids are told that they are inadequate until they receive this operation. The protagonist, Tally, contemplates joining her suite mates in the pretty city, or following her friend Shay to the rebel group that is plotting to overthrow the government that forces the operation upon people up in the mountains. 

Unbeknownst to Tally, the government has been trying to locate and exterminate this rebel group for many years now. After discovering that Shay has already started the journey to the mountains, the government jumps on the opportunity to use Tally as a rebel group scout. Although Tally does not want to endanger to friend Shay, she only wants to do what is right. Tally begins her journey to the mountains with a government tracker in hand. Once she makes it to the rebel group, she befriends them, and finds herself unable to turn them over to the government.

Tally is torn. Should she betray her new friends? In this society, a new set of morals and standards about society is set; what is considered beautiful? How much power should government have? What is right or wrong? Tally finds herself conflicted between her own morals and the ones society sets for her. Tally has grown up in a world that tries to defy nature that says that it is wrong to appreciate the way you were made, and that nobody is born beautiful. She sees her quest of betrayal as just her duty to her government.  Once she meets the members of the rebel group, she sees a new perspective on life, and starts to make her own judgments instead of the ones the government forces onto people. Although Tally's betrayal was not intentional, it was a fight against everything she had ever known. It was only Tally's moral compass that brought her to the conclusion of what is right.

Response to Course Material #6

In class, we finally wrapped up studying Hamlet! While Ms. Holmes was gone, we watched this freaky version of the movie that gave me nightmares. Also, I thought the characters were donating blood when they were actually shooting up heroine, and that made me quite confused.
After Hamlet, we started reading Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, which is like the untold story of Ros and Guil. After reading Hamlet so many times, I thought I had a good understanding of basically any interpretation of this play, but now we are learning about yet another point of view! I think it is interesting of Stoppard to adopt Shakespeare's line and develop a play around it. Stoppard probably uses the events he writes in his play to support his own theory of Hamlet.  It really makes you conscious of all the characters in the play, and how their lives impact the story of Hamlet as well.

Prompt Revision #1

     One of the strongest human drives seems to be a desire for power. Write an essay in which you discuss how a character in a novel or a drama struggles to free himself or herself from the power of others or seeks to gain power over others. Be sure to demonstrate in your essay how the author uses this power struggle to enhance the meaning of the work.

          In Jodi Picoult's My Sister's Keeper, the protagonist Anna faces the decision of saving her sister's life or saving herself. Her parents originally only had two children, Anna's sister Kate and her brother Jesse. After Kate was diagnosed with leukemia, her parents need to find someone who was a genetic match to her so they could donate bone marrow and keep Kate alive. We first see the struggle of power develop with Kate when she develops cancer--she loses the control of her own body and her own life by being dependent on someone for her own survival. 
          After finding that no one in the family could provide the blood for Kate, her parents decided to have another baby, only this time they selected genes for the child that would ensure a genetic match for Kate. Almost instantly after Anna is born, transfusions begin. Right from the start, Anna has to sacrifice herself for the sake of her sister. 
          Years of painful treatment pass and Anna continues to supply Kate, often having to miss school, losing friends along the way. Seemingly, Anna has had enough of the treatments, and the book begins with Anna asking a lawyer for the rights to her own body over her parents. 
         The story continues with the fight over the custody of Anna's body between Anna and her parents. Anna is trying to free herself from the control of her parents, and argues that she doesn't need to put up with the transplants and longer. She is losing everything and is left with  a family that seems to only care about Kate's survival rather than hers and as a last resort, Anna sues her parents for the rights to her own body.  Anna's mom decides to defend herself in the court case, which causes a divide in the family. 
         As the story goes on, we eventually see that Anna was not selfishly trying to save herself from the pain and her sacrifices, but instead her sister's. Kate had already tried to commit suicide because she was tired of living in such a helpless way, and when a vital kidney transplant was required, Kate made Anna promise to just let her be, which is why Anna began fighting in the first place. Kate wanted the power to choose death herself instead of relying on her sister for everything. 
         In this novel, we see boundaries of ethics stretch and the simultaneous struggles over power. Anna is the result of a genetic enhancement. Is it right to choose what traits your child will have? Essentially, Anna's existence is because of Kate. Is it right for Anna to have to endure these treatments, even if it is to save Kate? When is saving a child's life wrong? This novel transcends the plot by evoking these types of ethical dilemmas in the reader's mind. The struggle for power illustrated here may have readers reconsider what is right and what is wrong. 

Hamlet

Author: William Shakespeare

Setting: Denmark

Plot:  The play begins with Horatio, one of Hamlet’s friends, and some guards of the castle seeing the Ghost of Hamlet’s late father.  Claudius, Hamlet’s uncle, has just taken over the throne and married Hamlet’s mother, Gertrude.  Horatio tells Hamlet that he has seen the ghost of his father, and Hamlet decides that he wants to see for himself.  During the middle of the night, Hamlet meets the Ghost, who addresses him directly and tells him that he was killed by his own brother who is now married to his wife.  The Ghost also tells Hamlet that he needs to take revenge on Claudius by killing him and getting the throne.  Gertrude and Claudius get some of Hamlet’s school friends, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to spy on him.  Meanwhile, Hamlet’s old girlfriend Ophelia feels like Hamlet doesn’t actually love her anymore.  With her father Polonius and Claudius spying on their conversation, Hamlet and Ophelia talk and Hamlet tells her to go to a nunnery and confessed that once he did love her, but not anymore.  At this point, most people start to see that Hamlet is crazy (or is he really?), but he is just trying to avenge his late father.  When Hamlet meets the players, he gets an idea that will help him discover if Claudius is truly guilty of murder.  He tells the Players to reenact the murder and the quick marriage to Gertrude, which they do.  During the play, Claudius gets very upset and leaves, which lets Hamlet know that he did murder Old Hamlet. Hamlet decides that he does need to kill Claudius, but when he goes to do the deed, he finds him praying and therefore cannot kill him or his soul would go to heaven.  He then decides to go talk to his mother Gertrude about what is going on.  During their conversation, he sees something moving behind a curtain, and, believing that it is Claudius spying, kills the figure.  Rather than Claudius, Hamlet finds that he has just murdered Polonius, Ophelia’s father.  In the middle of their talk, Hamlet sees the Ghost and tries to show his mother, but she can’t see it.  This is another indication that he is clearly going mad.  Hamlet is banished to England, where Rosencrantz and Guildenstern will deliver a letter to the King telling him to have Hamlet killed.  Hamlet discovers what is written in the letter and exchanges it for one telling the King to have the messengers killed.  Ophelia drowns because she is so upset with her father’s death and Hamlet’s state of mind.  Laertes, her brother, finds out what has happened to his sister and father and plans to kill Hamlet.  The two begin to battle, and Hamlet is cut by Laertes’ poisoned sword.  Before dying, Laertes tells Hamlet that Claudius poisoned the cup that Gertrude has just taken a drink from, and she dies as well.  Now furious, Hamlet stabs Claudius with the poisoned sword and kills him.  Hamlet’s friend Horatio declares that he will now kill himself, but Hamlet stops him and makes one last request.  He wants Fortinbras, the Norwegian prince to take over the kingdom after he dies.  

Characters:

Hamlet - After losing his father, Hamlet goes mad with the desire to get revenge on Claudius.  Though his motives seem reasonable, he does not handle the situation as he could have, and ends up dying as a result of his poor decisions.  He also struggles to take action throughout the play rather than simply talking about his plans.  

Claudius - Claudius is obsessed with keeping his position as the new King of Denmark.  He is willing to kill is brother to get the crown and later we find out that although he does not want to directly kill Hamlet, recruits Laertes to do the deed.  We question how much he actually loves Gertrude.  

Gertrude - After marrying Claudius, Gertrude struggles to find the balance between her new husband and her son.  She urges Hamlet to stay in Denmark after he says he will go back to school, but then sides with Claudius later in the story.  

Ophelia - When Hamlet goes mad, she is caught in the middle and ends up turning on him and not helping him when he needed it the most.  Polonius’ death triggers her to go mad as well and drowns in the river.  

Narrative Tone/Style and Theme:

Like all plays, the story is told from an outside point of view and can see different characters at different times.  By doing this, we as the audience can get a better idea of each characters’ intentions and motives since we know what they are really thinking and don’t have to rely on a narrator.  The serious tone of the play shows the audience the severity of the situation Hamlet is placed in.  Many key conflicts help to develop the story.  Hamlet struggles to actually take action after he has talked about it and knows what he wants to do.  Throughout the play, Hamlet has numerous lengthy monologues, which strengthens his conflicted state.  Some clear images are presented to us when we see the Ghost for the first time and get an idea about what occurred in the story.  

Theme: The only way to cure the rotten core of Denmark is to start fresh and kill all those in power who remain.  

Quotes:

Hamlet - “now he is praying / And now I'll do't. And so he goes to heaven; / And so am I revenged. That would be scann'd: / A villain kills my father; and for that, / I, his sole son, do this same villain send / To heaven.”

When Hamlet decides to kill Claudius, he finds him praying.  He soon realizes that if he were to kill him now, his soul would go to heaven and his father’s death would not be revenged.  

Gertrude - “Seek for thy noble father in the dust: / Thou know'st 'tis common; all that lives must die, / Passing through nature to eternity.”

Everyone who is close to Hamlet, including his mother, is telling him to get over his father’s death very quickly.  His mother has clearly been content with the late Hamlet’s death, as she remarries very shortly after the death.  

Response to Course Material #5

In class, we've been doing an extensive analysis of Hamlet. Very extensive. After reading the text, we had the wonderful privilege of annotating for hours and hours on end which was lots of fun. Then we got to review Hamlet even more by watching several films to see the interpretations of this play under the direction of different directors. I will admit that reviewing Hamlet so many times has helped me understand where these different opinions stem from. The multitude of interpretations is clear evidence of how Shakespeare has been coined one of the greatest writers of all time--his work is applicable on so many levels to so many kinds of people. But getting to know the play so well also frustrates me. Some events in the play seem so unnecessary and ridiculous, like Hamlet's reasoning that he is always right about everything. He justifies killing people, and seems to think that he can get away with anything. I just wonder why the people Denmark love him so much even though he so arrogant and egotistic.

Besides Hamlet, I've been freaking out about finals. I thought the terms test retake would be the end of it all, but of course, it's not. We get to prove our incompetence with English vocab yet again on the final, where it impacts our grade twice as much. Should be a fun time studying for it.

Closed Reading #4

Ethan Hauser's article The Total Agony of Family Time describes the emptiness he feels during the holiday season. Though he wants to believes it is in fact the "most wonderful time of the year," Hauser has always found that this time period to be very forced and insincere for him. He and his family always seem to just go through the motions of the holidays instead of really feeling the excitement. He describes it as a time "when the gulf between what you want and what you get is the widest." 

The article starts with a description of the train ride down from New York City to Pennsylvania. Hauser describes it as a mundane commute he has taken every year since college, and along the way, he can see others paying visits to their families as well. He then dreams about the fun they must be having or the traditions they might be returning to this Christmas, and how his family celebrates the holidays so differently. This imagery paints a very disheartening picture, a stark contrast to the usual upbeat of this time of year. I'm sure many of Hauser's readers are puzzled as to why he doesn't enjoy seeing his family as much as they do, or feel the same excitement as they do.  

 As the article progresses, there is a change in the voice of the author. At first, Hauser opens the article in a more mature tone, using phrases like "[ I must try] honoring traditions," or "[I could] find ways to cope with the holidays," suggesting that even though Hauser doesn't want to visit his family and deal with the tension, he will be mature about the situation. However, later, his tone changes, and he seems to regress to his teenage state, using monosyllabic words to reply to his parents like "fine" or "out" in response to questions like "how have you been?" or "where are you headed?" He also says he sleeps in until noon or leaves the house for extended periods of time to avoid talking with his family too much. This change in syntax shows the effects that returning home has on Hauser. 

At this point, readers are probably thinking that Hauser is a pessimistic cynical man, void of the Christmas spirit. How could anyone hate Christmas this much? However, at the very end, Hauser reveals that he and his family are Jewish, and ever since he has remembered, he has been jealous of those who participated in Christmas traditions, like the tree, Santa, and a turkey roasting in the oven for Christmas dinner. The large emphasis of Christmas culture portrayed in media and practiced by the majority in our country have withered away Hauser's holiday spirit. By this lack of details, Hauser plays at his audience's emotions, causing them to sympathize with him.     

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/16/opinion/sunday/the-total-agony-of-family-time.html?ref=opinion&_r=0

Open Prompt #4

1982. In great literature, no scene of violence exists for its own sake. Choose a work of literary merit that confronts the reader or audience with a scene or scenes of violence. In a well-organized essay, explain how the scene or scenes contribute to the meaning of the complete work. Avoid plot summary.

In Anthony Burgess' A Clockwork Orange, violence is a very normal part of the characters' society. The story takes place in a fictionalized future where kids are increasingly more prone to violent acts. Alex, the protagonist, leads a gang in his town that either fights other gangs, beats up the men or rapes the women in his community. To pass the time when they are not committing these crimes, the group hangs out at local bars.

I think Burgess implements the theme of violence in society's youth in this story because it shows the change in how people were bringing up their children. Burgess may have noticed, in his own community, a leniency toward older values and how strictly people tended to be toward their kids. Perhaps Burgess was trying to warn others of this loosening of morals through a satirical way in A Clockwork Orange. By showing a group of 15 years old wreaking havoc throughout town and committing almost unfathomable crimes, I think Burgess' point is more shocking to its readers (also, consider the time period that this book was written in. Society was not as exposed to violence as it is today).  

Another use of Burgess' scenes of violence is the idea of a lack of self discipline and empowerment. Perhaps Burgess is trying to suggest that he is noticing that people feel that they are only powerful when putting down others. Alex, in the story, describes a rush he gets when committing these crimes, and how he feels untouchable. By scaring his audience by showing them the lengths that people will go to to feel better about themselves, I think Burgess hopes to show his audience that the greatest satisfaction should only come from believing in yourself, not from the expense of others.

Burgess also is trying to stress how short term satisfaction is no substitute for long term satisfaction. Although Alex may feel a high from these acts of violence, hours later, he is down again, resulting in more crimes. I think Burgess wants people to achieve a long term happiness, and to accomplish something bigger.  

Burgess uses scenes of violence as a method of satire to show his society the results of poor discipline in both our youth and ourselves. 

Death of a Salesman

Author: Arthur Miller
Setting: New York, 1940s. 
Significant Characters:

• Willy Loman- a salesman with a career in decline, a complicated relationship with his son Biff, and an unstable mental state.
• Linda Loman- Willy's wife, who wants their sons to just go along with his illness, and doesn't do anything significant about his suicide attempts because of his pride.
• Biff Loman- Willy's older son, who rejected Willy's values of popularity and money in order to move out west, and has been living with the secret of his father's infidelity for many years.
• Happy Loman- Willy's younger son, who always seems to be trying to get on his father's good side. In the end, it seems that he will follow in Willy's path.

Summery/Plot: This play starts out with Willy Loman coming home from work to his home and wife, Linda, in New York. His two sons, Biff and Happy, are in town visiting. Willy and Linda discuss his job, which Willy has to drive far away to. Linda wants Willy to relocate his job to the city because he is old and shouldn't have to drive that far. His two sons come down and talk to Willy, and then Willy has one of his daydreams, older memories he has that are most likely twisted to his liking. The daydream is about the family playing ball in the backyard, and Willy's reveal of his new business idea. Bernard, the Loman's neighbor, is also there, and stresses the importance of school and Biff's grades. Linda enters as well, and talks about the expenses the family will have to pay off, and how Willy's pay doesn't cover for them. Willy has another delusion with this daydream, flashing back to an affair he had in Boston.
The scene flashes back to reality. The family is discussing Willy's mental state. The boys can see the evident psychological problems Willy is dealing with, but Linda continues to defend Willy, denying that there is anything wrong with him. After much arguing, they argee to go into business together.
The next day, Willy is heading off to work to ask his boss to relocate his job. Afterwards, Linda tells him that his sons are going to treat him for dinner. So Willy goes to his boss, only to find out that he is fired. Willy, now unemployed, goes to Charley, his neighbor, to ask for more money, an activity he engages in weekly. He finds out that his son, Bernard, is going to argue a case in front of the supreme court. Bernard and Willy discuss Biff's past, and how he flunked high school.
Later, Willy arrives at the restaurant  expecting his sons to treat him to dinner, and expecting Biff is have started the business they were previously discussing. Biff, however, had not pulled off the deal, and the family argues. Eventually, the two sons leave with women from the restaurant and leave Willy by himself in the bathroom.
In the bathroom, Willy flashes back to when he had the affair in Boston. Biff finds out about the affair, thus deterring him from enrolling in summer school and stopping his graduation. This is why Biff is such a "bum" now. Willy snaps out of his dream, and goes back home to his family.
The family has a long series of confessions after that, and make amends about their years of quarreling  Willy, finally content with his life, commits suicide in attempt to help his family financially with his life insurance.

Narrative Voice/Style:

The narrative voice is mostly from Willy's perspective, and the frequent time shifts serve to imply to the audience how muddled Willy's mind is, giving the play a stream of consciousness feel. Symbolism is used by Miller to emphasize important points in the play, such as his use of seeds. His failed attempts to grow vegetables can also be seen as a failed attempt to achieve the American Dream the way he sees it, and his failure to help Biff do the same. The imagery of Willy and the rubber hose also contributes to the story, because the reader picturing the end result of the American Dream as an old man hanging dead in the basement makes it clear that Willy's values don't make for a fulfilling way to live.

Quotes:

"I'm vital in New England." ~ this is an example of how Willy constantly tries to pretend that he's more important than he actually is.

"Pop! I'm a dime a dozen, and so are you!" ~ Biff realizes his father's ideas of grandeur are impractical, and tries to tell him that. This quote is central in the message Miller is trying to show in the play.

Theme:

Miller's Death of a Salesman shows that superficial values make for an empty American Dream. The title, which speaks of Willy's eventual suicide, supports this because it could also be construed to mean the death of Willy's personification of a dream based on emptiness. Willy's juxtaposition with Biff also supports this, because Biff is the opposite of Willy, and shows how insignificant Willy's life choices are.

Response to Course Material #4

In class, we've been analyzing Death of a Salesman more. Like before, I think the class discussions about DOS is very helpful is helping me see what the author, Miller, was trying to portray, and how other people in the class interpret the play.
We've also been reading Hamlet, which has been better than a lot of other experiences I've had reading Shakespeare. Ms. Holmes' input is very helpful and helps me understand the strange Old English dialect, and its been much easier to stay interested in the story. What is interesting to me is how different Shakespearean plays are compared to our modern plays. For example, deaths are somewhat taboo in Shakepeare's time, whereas today, we can see death in any episode of CSI or Criminal Minds during prime time on TV. Polonius' death in Hamlet was a complete shock to an audience back then, but now we think almost nothing of it. Other deaths in Shakespearean plays have been announced off stage with characters saying things like "Oh no, I'm dead!" which sounds ridiculous to us now.  Over the centuries, people have become desensitized to violence, among several other things. Like in Death of a Salesman, Biff was unaware of affairs, and children during the 1950s were generally more innocent.  Kids these days just seem to know more, and the social norm has changed.
In Hamlet, long soliloquies and monologues are used frequently in plot development. In modern times, a story line is told through actions and character interactions, rather than through an explanation of one character. It's weird that someone has to stand in front of an audience and have to explain what is happening, especially since lit teachers have been drilling us since middle school to "show, not tell" in our writings. 
Other than that, we had our last student group of the rhetoric exercises, which is pretty sad. Instead, we practice different literary tones before each class as a warm-up, which has been fun, because Ms. Holmes gives out jolly ranchers, and it makes me happy.