Blackout Poem – “Death of a Salesman”

“Death of a Salesmen” purveys a theme of tragedy throughout the play. Written by the playwright author, Arthur Miller, “Death of a Salesmen” is a play about a 63-year-old salesman named Willy Loman, who is showing early signs of Alzheimer’s, which is leading him towards the lack of progress within the sales industry and damaging his relationship with his sons. Willy wants to live the American Dream but has never been able to do so, due to this, he becomes very hard on his oldest son Biff to become successful in life. The play falls in the genre of tragedy because it shows a man who has the potential for great things in his life, but with decisions not well thought of due to his state of mind, he loses so much that in some cases he won’t be able to get back. His relationship with his sons will never be the same as they used to, from the way Willy is acting towards them now and all the pressure he is bringing upon them. He is a hard-working person that is capable of success but becomes obsessive over, seeking out materialistic possessions which are all examples of how this play provides a tragic theme.

 

The project for this play was to create a blackout poem, where one finds words in a piece of literature and creates a poem by colouring out the other words. My poem relates to Willy because it shows the characteristics that he brings upon others. He shows a side of aggression when in conversation with Linda and Biff while talking about careers. He has a pure and loving side to him when he is in a healthy state of mind, but hides lots from his family. In the illustration, Willy is planting seeds beside a dead flower to symbolize how the growth of a person sometimes isn’t as successful as one would like it to be. In conclusion, this play demonstrates that trying to have everything, can make you end up with having nothing and develop bad relationships with others.

DOAS Monologues

The following is an example I created of a monologue for the character of Happy from “Death of a Salesmen.”

Happy: I am a 32-year-old man, who can’t seem to find my place in this world yet. I want so much but don’t know where to start. All I want is my own apartment, my own car and plenty of women. As I get older I’m starting to feel extremely lonely. One could find me physically attractive due to my built. I feel as that’s all I got going for me, women and my looks. My father has made me believe that success comes from being well-liked. I have always felt like the second picked child towards my father, this being from my brother biff’s achievements in life, even though I have a successful job and Biff doesn’t, he won’t look at me the same. I feel like I  always am trying to please my father. But now with my father’s mind becoming lost, I’m starting to fade away from the fact that he has any connections towards me.

 

This is a monologue because Happy is speaking to someone (Biff) about his feelings without being interrupted by the listener.

 

This monologue would fit into the current plot when Biff and Happy were having a conversation together about their lives in their bedroom.

Characterization (3D) – ”Robert”

From the novel LOTF, the character Robert can be described in very few ways.  From the beginning, Robert wasn’t apart of the little’un’s, but wasn’t as big physically and as old as the older boys. He is Jacks sideman meaning he is trustworthy in others eyes. Robert is weaker and more vulnerable which he his picked on by the other hunters. His thoughts and suggestions are becoming inhumane from his influences and being out of an average society for so long. Robert is Tan and dirty, he is apart of the hunters so he probably has his face painted. His school clothes are ratty and made his pants into shorts. Below are quotes that can give a greater visual on Robert.

 

Quotes:

  1. “And then: about the fire.” Ralph let out his spare breath with a little gasp that was echoed by his audience. Jack started to chip a piece of wood with his knife and whispered something to Robert, who looked away” (61).

-In this scene, Ralph calls the group to an assembly after the hunters Robert is clearly one of Jack’s sidemen who he can trust.

2. For a moment or two Simon was happy to be accepted and then he ceased to think about himself. When he bashed into a tree Ralph looked sideways impatiently and Robert sniggered.

-This quote states that Robert has immaturity and finds little things funny.

3. “All at once, Robert was screaming and struggling with the strength of frenzy. Jack had him by the hair and was brandishing his knife”

4. -This quote states that Robert has fear and is smaller than Jacks strength and size.

5. Then they lay quiet, panting, listening to Robert’s frightened snivels. He wiped his face with a dirty arm, and made an effort to retrieve his status.

-This quote states that he is week.

6. Robert stabilized the thing in a phrase which was received uproariously. “Right up her ass!”

-This states that Robert is immature, going inhumane.

7. Maurice and Robert skewered the carcass, lifted the dead weight, and stood ready. In the silence, and standing over the dry blood, they looked suddenly furtive.

8. “That was Jack and Maurice and Robert,” said Ralph. “Aren’t they having fun?”

9. “He’s a proper chief, isn’t he?” Robert nodded

-He listens to others opinions and agrees with people who are socially above him.

10. “I don’t know. He didn’t say. He got angry and made us tie Wilfred up. He’s been”—he giggled excitedly—“he’s been tied for hours, waiting—”

-Robert is going crazy and finding amusement in the suffering of others.

11. “He jerked his head in the direction of the distant shelters where a thread of white smoke climbed up the sky. Roger, sitting on the very edge of the cliff, looked somberly back at the island as he worked with his fingers at a loose tooth. His gaze settled on the top of the distant mountain and Robert changed the unspoken subject.”

12. “Ralph too was fighting to get near, to get a handful of that brown, vulnerable flesh”(88).

Describes his tan skin from being on the island for so long.

 

LOTF Podcast

 

CITATIONS

“Lord of the Flies” – Island Description

The following are quotes and a photo that describes the island from LOTF.

Shore:

The shore was fledged with palm trees. These stood or leaned or reclined against the light and their green feathers were a hundred feet up in the air 4

Scar:

“All round him the long scar smashed into the jungle was a bath of heat,” (Golding 6 e-book).

Lagoon:

“within the irregular arc of coral, the lagoon was still as a mountain lake – blue of all shades and shadowy green and purple” (Golding 4).

Beach:

“The beach between the palm terrace and the water drew to a point at infinity; and always, almost invisible, was the heat” (Golding 4).

Platform and Meeting Place:

“a great platform of pink granite thrust up uncompromisingly through forest and terrace and sand and lagoon to make a raised jetty four feet high. The top of this was covered with a thin layer of soil and coarse grass and shaded with young palm trees.” (Golding 13 e-book).

The Jungle:

Ralph disentangled himself cautiously and stole away through the branches. In a few seconds the fat boy’s grunts were behind him and he was hurrying toward the screen that still lay between him and the lagoon. He climbed over a broken trunk and was out of the jungle. (10)

The Mountain:

“It was roughly boat-shaped: humped near this end with behind them
the jumbled descent to the shore. On either side rocks, cliffs, treetops
and a steep slope: forward there, the length of the boat, a tamer descent,
tree-clad, with hints of pink: and then the jungly flat of the island, dense
green, but drawn at the end to a pink tail. There, where the island petered
out in water, was another island; a rock, almost detached, standing
like a fort, facing them across the green with one bold, pink bastion.
The boys surveyed all this, then looked out to sea” (Golding 26)

Coral Reef:

“Out there, perhaps a mile away, the white surf flinked on a coral reef, and
beyond that the open sea was dark blue. Within the irregular arc of coral
the lagoon was still as a mountain lake—blue of all shades and shadowy
green and purple. The beach between the palm terrace and the water
was a thin stick, endless apparently” (Golding 4)

The Scar:

He looked up and down the scar. “And this is what the cabin done.” The fair boy reached out and touched the jagged end of a trunk. For a moment he looked interested. “What happened to it?” he asked. “Where’s it got to now?” “That storm dragged it out to sea. It wasn’t half dangerous with all them tree trunks falling. There must have been some kids still in it.” He hesitated for a moment, then spoke again. (8)

The Jungle:

beyond falls and cliffs there was a gash visible in the trees; there were the splintered trunks and then the drag, leaving only a fringe of palm between the scar and the sea. (26,27)

“The Secret Life of Walter Mitty” Narrative

… “Excuse me, sir!” A little old lady said trying to pass him to get in through the doors of the drugstore as Mitty’s body was sprawled out against the exterior wall.

 

Coming back to realization, Mitty stands up tall, flicks off his cigarette, straightens out his clothes and continues to wait for his wife. Walking towards him, bag in hand, she gives him a distraught smile. Walter reaches out to hold her hand, and she immediately pulls away.

 

“Walter! Your hands are freezing. Put your gloves on first.”

 

Mitty reaches into the pocket of his jacket, to dig out his gloves, as they make their way to the car. While walking, he sees the faces of others darken, as the clouds in the sky become grey. No conversation was had between Mr. and Mrs. Mitty as they trek to their vehicle. All Walter wanted at that moment was to feel connected to someone or something in his life. Almost at their destination, a burst of wind hits his flushed face and the man walking in front of Mitty, hat fly’s right off his head …

Mitty with a quick reaction reaches up to grab it as it was traveling with the wind. Turning around to give it back to the man, Mitty looks up over the man’s head to see an unusual sight, something unfamiliar but known to what it was. Walter rubs his eyes in disbelief as pandemonium fills the streets, a tornado was heading right down the main street! His mind goes blank, Mitty has no idea at that moment what to do.

 

“Come on now Walter” a crew member grabs Walters’ shoulders and gives him a shake.

 

Walter snaps out of it, looks down at his attire to remember his duty and at that moment he knew that this was his time to make a difference. He first runs over to an old man, with a very haggard face in front of a parking lot.

 

“Come with me sir, I’m apart of search and rescue, we need to find you a safe place, “Mitty says with a comforting yet stern voice.

 

“I can’t leave, I don’t know where my granddaughter went.” The old man said with panic.

 

Mitty looks around, trying to find a young girl through the tight crowd of panicked people.

He was thinking where she could be in a time like this.  He starts walking by the cars, squatting down to look under for her, then stands up and bumps into someone…

 

“Walter, what on Earth are you doing?” Mrs. Mitty says with great frustration.

 

He looks to see he was holding the handle of his car door, in the parking lot. Mitty gets in, sits down, buckles his seatbelt, closed his eyes and takes a deep breath.
 

 

Plot Point Photo Project – “Father and Son”

In this project, we are told to find quotes that would match the plot points of the story and have an explanation below. The pictures that we have taken represent the main plot point from the short story. The short story, “Father and Son,” by Bernard MacLaverty shows the problematic relationship that a father and son have. The father and son had many struggles since the mother has passed, and have not maintained a balanced relationship since. In the short story, we are able to see both perspectives from the father and the son, and understand how they feel towards one another. The son undergoes a conflict and gets shot and is killed. The father is finally able to hold his son in his arms, and that is where the reader is able figures out the real relationship between the father and the son.

Exposition

Quote: “I know that in a few minutes he will come in to look at me sleeping. He will want to check that I came home last night” (MacLaverty 1).

Explanation:

this is introducing the father and the son, and their relationship that they have with each other. It shows a lack of trust that the father has for his son. This presents the main topic that the story is based around.

 

Inciting Incident

Quote: “I love him so much it hurts but he won’t talk to me. He tells me nothing” (MacLaverty 1).

Explanation:

The father expresses the love he has for his son, but struggles to gain affection from him, due to the sons past which creates the reasoning behind the conflict of the story. The conflict is how the father can never succeed in creating a father-son bond.

Rising Action

Quote: “Let me put my arm around your shoulders and let me listen to what is making you thin. At the weekend I will talk to him” (MacLaverty 2).

Explanation:

the father is wanting to give his son attention and talk to him, but he struggles to do so. The father also is avoiding trying to talk to his son, and work things out between them, but fails to communicate with him.

Rising Action

Quote: “My son is breaking my heart. It is already broken. Is it my fault there is no woman in the house? Is it my fault a good woman should die?” (MacLaverty 2).

Explanation:

In this part of the story, it is showing how the father is trying to figure out the reasons towards his son’s behaviors, and blames himself, as well as thinking of all the reasons towards these actions.

Rising Action

Quote: “I want to hear you laugh with me like you used to. I want to know what you think. I want to know why you do not eat more” (MacLaverty 2).

Explanation:

This part is showing how the father is coming to the realization that he doesn’t, and never will figure out who is son is. The father is starting to become more concerned than ever about his son’s well being.

Climax

Quote: “There is a bang. A dish-cloth drops from my hand and I run to the kitchen door. Not believing, I look into the hallway” (MacLaverty 3).

Explanation:

The father hears a gunshot and runs towards the door without hesitation, he knows that something bad has happened. He sees his son, but the father does not want to believe that his son has been shot. This is the part of the story where the foreshadowing, and where all the conflicts in the story led to.

Falling Action

Quote: “My son is lying on the floor, his head on the bottom stair, his feet on the threshold” (MacLaverty 3).

This part is where the loose ends are tied up and that it has confirmed that the son was shot. It starts to create a conclusion towards the story from the climax, in which the readers get a sense of how the father will react towards this situation.

Denouement

Quote: “My son, let me put my arms around you” (MacLaverty 3).

Explanation:

As his son is lying on the ground, hole in his face from a bullet, the dad finally gets to put his arms around him. The only chance he has ever gotten in so long to give his son affection is the time where his son is no longer able to deny it.

 

Capital Punishment in “Two Fishermen”

-P1: Write a brief history about what capital punishment is and its history in Canada. Referencing the short story “Two Fishermen” discuss how if the story was based in Canada when it might have taken place based on your knowledge of capital punishment.

Capital punishment is the act of ending one’s life due to his or her specific actions. The individual is either killed by, lethal injection, hanging,  electric chair, gas chamber and or firing squad. In Canada capital punishment started in 1865, for crimes of murder, treason, and rape. It was removed from the Canadian Criminal Code in 1976 and was replaced with a mandatory life sentence without possibility of parole for 25 years for all first-degree murders.  In the short story “Two Fishermen”, capital punishment was a topic the story was based around. It showed how it doesn’t just affect the person who is being killed but the lives of others. The story could have taken place in Canada due to it not following the rules of the USA capital punishment requirements.  Capital punishment has been in the past for quite some time now but sadly is apart of our history.

-P2: Also, discuss your opinion on whether Thomas Delaney should have been killed for his actions in defending his wife. Come up with an argument and three reasons why or why not he should have been killed.

In my opinion, Thomas Delaney should not have been killed for his actions in defending his wife because, his action came out of anger, and no, there should never be a right reason for killing someone and that also states that he shouldn’t have been killed as well. Thomas, who we don’t know much of, killed a bad man, who was affecting someone he loves and cares for in a very bad way.  I don’t think to give someone capital punishment for doing one crime is justice when the crime came from defense.  Thomas saved his wife and possibly many other women. I think that jail time would have been the more suitable decision in this situation.  People shouldn’t have the power to chose the death of others, and Thomas Delany shouldn’t have been the one to face that problem.