Literary Experience

English 201: Literary Experience

For your in-class essay about Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman, you will choose from one of the following essay prompts. You are asked to write a clear, developed essay that consists of the following:

• Three pages in length
• Contains a title (no cover page, please); titles are plain text (no underline, no bold)
• Pages are numbered
• Left Hand Corner: Your name, then my name, then date, then assignment and Prompt #
• Use Times New Roman 12 point font
• Foreground your thesis in your introductory paragraph; supporting paragraphs support the thesis
• Advance your paper with topic sentences that contain analysis
• Include a Work Cited Page
• Follows MLA guidelines; see PURDUE OWL online for guidelines
• Contains a minimum of two quotes from the assigned reading (max of five)

What is an analytical essay? An analytical essay means you will need to present some type of argument, or claim, about what you are analyzing and then structure your analysis around the main claim and its subparts.

Format of Essay Responses–examples follow:

Thesis:             Each topic should begin with a clear and direct thesis that provides an analytical                                           response to the prompt.  The thesis should be a clear and specific claim, not a simple                                    statement.

NOT a thesis:

Willy does not understand Howard’s recording device. (States a fact, not an                                  argument.)

Basic thesis:

                        Willy is frightened by change and modern technology. (States a claim but does                              not provide deep analysis.)

Stronger thesis:

                        Willy’s fear of technology and his resistance to change demonstrate his inability                            to survive in the modern world. (States a claim that demonstrates an                                       understanding of the character and the deeper meaning of the play.)

Support:         Your essay should include specific support from the text. For instance, you should                        not make claims like “Willy has a bad temper” without providing specific                                             evidence of Willy’s temper.  Your essay should include at least two citations                             from the text.

Secondary Example:

Not a thesis: Will Loman is the protagonist in the play.(Statement of fact with no analysis.)

Basic thesis: Willy Loman is a failed salesman who burdens his sons with his failure. (States a

claim but does not provide deep analysis.)

Stronger Thesis:Willy Loman’s death is a tragedy that represents how the American Dream is

tied to financial success; however, he is not a martyr. Rather, he is a man who confuses material success with greatness. (Provides a more in-depth opening to what the paper will explore.)

Further Guidelines:

• Introduce the full name of the author and the title of the work the first time you reference it. For instance, Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman discusses…
• Use the author’s last name for the remainder of the paper
• Make an assertion or state a main claim as controlling idea for the paper (a thesis)
• Use some of the language of the prompt in your opening paragraph (do not simply restate the prompt)
• Use specific details and examples from the text in your supporting paragraphs
• Do not include plot summary (you can give background for an event or scene to “set up” your analysis or introduce a quote)
• Form a conclusion to demonstrate you have proven your thesis

Essay Scoring Rubric:

9-8These essays are well-written, clear and accurate; they contain a well-articulated thesis. They accomplish the task using specific and appropriate references to the text. The student writing may not be errorless, but will demonstrate a mature command of effective prose.

7-6These essays are less full or convincing than those in the 9-8 range.  They accomplish the task above, but less well than in the very best papers. These papers are written clearly and effectively, though they be less mature than the papers in the 9-8 range.

5These essays are merely adequate.  The discussion is simple or obvious and may be lacking in specificity or depth. These essays often summarize rather than analyze the text. The writing is, as a rule, less clear and organized than that of the upper-half essays, and the thinking is often simplistic.

4-3 These lower-half essays often fail to understand parts of the text and/or fail to answer part or parts of the question. The discussion may be perfunctory or unclear. The writing may demonstrate weak compositional skills. These essays often contain errors in reading and writing and are rarely supported by evidence from the text.

2-1 These essays are weaker than papers in the 4-3 range. They have serious errors in the reading and writing of the text and often omit a major portion of the question. Some answers are unacceptably short and underdeveloped. The writing is poor and lacks clarity, organization, or supporting evidence.

0 A response that makes no attempt to deal with the question.

 Choose ONE of the following promptto answer:

Death of a Salesman,by Arthur Miller

Prompt One:In broad terms, a “tragedy” is a work in which the main character is brought to ruin, usually as a consequence of a predominating weakness or flaw. According to Aristotle, the fall of the protagonist creates pity and fear in the audience, and the release of these emotions provides catharsis.  Typically, a tragic hero is a person who is highly renowned and prosperous, a description that does not apply to the aptly named Willy Loman. However, many critics have characterized Death of a Salesman as an American tragedy. In a well-organized essay, explain why the play should or should not be classified as a tragedy, supporting your position with specific evidence from the text.

Prompt Two:A martyr is someone who suffers persecution or death for a greater cause. Willy believes that he is dying as a martyr for his family. Is Willy a martyr? Why or why not? In a well-organized essay, explain your answer by supporting your position with specific evidence from the text.

Prompt Three: Modern technology, from automobiles and home appliances to modern gadgets, is an important element of the play. How is modern technology used in Death of a Salesman to show us Willy’s attitude towards change? What is his attitude towards change, and what is the significance? In a well-organized essay, explain your answer by supporting your position with specific evidence from the play.

Prompt Four:  The quest for the American Dream, and the nature of that Dream, is a theme in numerous works of literature.  Horatio Alger’s writings in the late 19^th century established the core of the American Dream.  Alger’s novels center on poor, impoverished young men who rise up to lives of wealth and security. What, exactly, is Arthur Miller saying about the American Dream? In particular, 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.

Prompt Five:Willy Loman’s desire to plant a garden is a recurring motif (dominant idea) in Death of a Salesman. In the opening scene, he laments that “you can’t raise a carrot in the back yard”. Near the play’s end, when Biff confronts him, he is still attempting to plant a garden. In a well-organized essay, examine how Willy’s recurring references to gardening and planting combine to provide important insight into his character. What insight and what is the significance?

Prompt Six: InDeath of Salesman how do Willy Loman’s son suffer from their father’s dream of greatness? What do Biff and Happy dream about and why can they not attain their own dreams?