Alexander Chow 10/15/07 Pd. 1
1 Patterns Common Task 1 Analysis of a Play I. II.
Thesis Paragraph
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A. A few sentences that tell the author and title and provide a brief description (2-3 sentences) of the play: In the play Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller, Willy the main character in the play is struggling with his past by having flashbacks. His family is also struggling because of him from the past decisions he made. Biff and Happy are his two sons, Linda is his wife that has been supporting Willy and has been suffering from him. In this play it explains that Willy and his family try to survive by working hard to continue to achieve their dream. B. A sentence that introduces the theme or topic of the play: The play explains that the family should accept and love their own children. It also states that the family should encourage them to continue with dream. C. A thesis statement that states the motifs that the author uses and their importance: The play introduces motifs which are often-repeated ideas or the theme in the literature. One motif in the play is the struggle with the family. This is when the family faces the problems with the money, work, or the house. Another motif in the play is the lament for the past which is when Willy is wishing he could go back into the past when he gets his flashbacks. Body Paragraph 1: Discuss the first example in which the author presents a chosen motif. This example should be from Act I. A. Write a topic sentence that names the motif: Struggling with your family is one of the motifs that are repeated in the play. B. Introduce the first example of a behavior that supports the motif (include when and why the behavior occurs): An example for the motif is when Willy and his family struggle with the money. Linda tells Willy about the bills that they haven’t paid yet is another example. C. Add a quotation that shows this behavior: Willy – “A hundred and twenty dollars! My God, if business don’t pick up I don’t know what I’m gonna do. D. Explain how the example supports this motif.
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Alexander Chow 10/15/07 Pd. 1 The example supports the motifs because Willy is angry about Biff for not making a lot of money. Willy doesn’t know what to do with Biff if he doesn’t make some money. E. Why is it effective? It explains that the family is having a hard time with each other and need to find way to make the cash so they can pay for the bills. F. Write a concluding sentence that sums up the main points in the paragraph: Struggling with the family is difficult for the Lomans. From all the problems they have faced like fighting with each other and paying the bills. The author uses this motifs because it shows when the family is struggling with the problems they are dealing with. Body Paragraph 2 Discuss the second example in which the author presents the chosen motif. This example should be in Act II. A. Write a topic sentence that names the motif. A motifs is when Willy is wishing to go back in the past B. Introduce the second example of a behavior that supports the motif (include when and why the behavior occurs): When Willy is wishing that the big trees is still here C. Add a quotation that shows this behavior: Willy – “they should’ve arrested the builder for cutting those down. They massacred the neighborhood …….. This time of year it was lilac and wisteria …… the peonies would come out, and the daffodils.” D. Explain how the example supports this motif: The example supports the motifs because here Willy misses the days when they were a happy family and more spacious around the house E. Why is it effective? It explains when Willy is having the flashbacks about he wishing he could go back into the past. Willy uses this motifs all over the book and can explain why Willy is talking to himself F. Write a concluding sentence that sums up the main points in the paragraph: This motif explains when Willy is having his flashbacks and wishing he could go back into the past. This motif is the most common to the play and explains why Willy is so weird and different to his family especially to Biff because of his decision in the past.
Alexander Chow 10/15/07 Pd. 1
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Conclusion A. Write several sentences that discuss the importance of the motifs in the play. The motifs are a symbol of when someone or something uses a repeated idea over time which is why authors use them to show when the person uses the motifs. That’s why the author uses them to tell when something important is happening to them or showing what is the person is really like. B. Write 1-2 sentences that contain a direct evaluation of the motifs in the play: The direct evaluation of the motifs in the play Death of a Salesman is that many of the people use the motifs as a second nature and are different with everyone. The motifs in the play show what kind of family they are and the characteristics of the person. C. Explain the importance of the motifs for life in general. The motifs in general for life is that people do things repeatedly that tell others how and who the person is like. It is different with everyone because everyone do things differently from some everybody else