deathofasalesman


 * __[[image:mill49.jpg align="right"]]Arthur Miller's "Death of a Salesman" (10%)__**

This drama-focused piece asks you to put yourself in the situation of a character from "Death of a Salesman". You must respond as that character, showing an understanding of their feelings at that point and a knowledge of their overall situation and background AND, of course, the major ideas behind the text such as "The American Dream".


 * "Imagine you are Biff. Write your innermost thoughts, in the first person, after you have found your father in the hotel room with the woman. You have called him a 'phoney little fake' and left the room in tears."**

You must include:

- Reasons for your trip to Boston - Reflections on your hero worship of your father - How you feel about him now - The woman and your father (and your mother) - Your future**
 * - Thoughts about the present situation

Download the document below to help you to think about your coursework in more detail:


 * __Background__**

You have realised that your father is a cheat and a liar and all that he has taught you is a sham and false. You have believed the 'American Dream' to be true but then realised that the word 'dream' is very significant because that's all it could ever be. You trusted your father and have been devastated by his deceit. You realise that the whole family and the whole nation has been living a lie.

Below is some more information to help develop your understanding of the play further. Click on the links to help you understand more about the play:


 * __Context Of The Play__**
 * Arthur Miller was born in New York in October 1915 to a Jewish-Polish family.
 * In 1929, during the [|Depression], his father’s business was ruined and his family moved to a house in Brooklyn, which is thought to be the model for the Loman’s house in Death of a Salesman.
 * After a youth spent playing American football and working in a car warehouse to raise the funds, Miller attended the University of Michigan, graduating in English in 1938. During his time at University, he was awarded a prize for playwrighting, along with [|Tennessee Williams].
 * He returned to New York and began a career writing for radio.
 * He married his college sweetheart in 1940 and they had two children.
 * He was exempt of being drafted into the U.S army because of an injury.
 * He married [|Marilyn Monroe] in 1956 but they were divorced in 1961.
 * In 1957, he was brought before the House Committee on Un-American activities and called upon to explain his [|Communist] tendencies. He was convicted of contempt for refusing to name names.
 * In 1962, he remarried.
 * Arthur Miller died in February 2005.


 * __The American Dream__**

The idea of 'The American Dream' is that through a combination of hard work, courage and determination, prosperity can be achieved. These values came to America with early settlers and were passed down for generations, but grew during the [|Depression]. For some, it is the opportunity to achieve more prosperity than they could in their countries of origin and many immigrants flocked to America to try to achieve this, possibly like Arthur Miller's Polish family; for others, it is the opportunity for their children to grow up with an education and career opportunities; for still others, it is the opportunity to be an individual without the constraints imposed by class, caste, race, gender or ethnicity. It sometimes includes the idea of owning a home. The definition of the American Dream is under constant discussion and debate. While the term "American Dream" today is often associated with immigrants, native-born Americans can also be described as "pursuing the American Dream" or "living the American Dream".

In "Death Of A Salesman", Arthur Miller shows how the American Dream can be superficial and misleading. It is impossible for EVERYBODY to gain prosperity through hard wrok and determination. This can lead those that never achieve prosperity to blame themselves and believe their failure is entirely their fault. Social and economic factors are important though. Not everybody is going to be rich and prosperous just through hard work and determination. The family and circumstances one is born into can have a major effect on potential success in one's life. Arthur Miller tried to show therefore that the American Dream was meaningless. Click on the word document below to download a fact sheet on "The American Dream"
 * George Carlin: "It's called the American dream because you have to be asleep to believe it."**


 * Click** [|**here**] **to read further information on "Death Of A Salesman"**


 * The YouTube clip below is an excerpt from the screen version starring Dustin Hoffman and John Malkovich:**

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Download a Powerpoint Presentation with activities to help you to further explore the idea of the "American Dream" from Biff's point of view.