Questions for 7/16 -- EN 190 Summer II 2012

 

In the picture above from the 2000 revival, Ben is in white.  

Good evening :)

I'm glad that we were able to have lively discussion tonight--and to watch some of the other versions of DoaS.  Here is a link to the entry with the various videos that we saw:

http://worldlit2.multiply.com/journal/item/200

The latest version is here:  http://www.broadway.com/shows/death-salesman/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sSyIdMK99BQ

You may also be interested in reading various reviews:

http://worldlit2.multiply.com/journal/item/203

Here are reviews of the recent version:

http://theater.nytimes.com/2012/03/16/theater/reviews/death-of-a-salesman-with-philip-seymour-hoffman.html

http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/theater/theaterloop/ct-ent-0316-death-salesman-broadway-review-20120315,0,2169632.column

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/culturemonster/2012/03/theater-review-death-of-a-salesman-on-broadway.html

And these are links to the theories we went over:

Also, here is a link to a page with information about Erikson's theory of development:

http://fac.hsu.edu/langlet/lectures/dev/Erikson/erik_erikson.htm

You may also find Kohlberg's theory interesting as well:

http://college.cengage.com/psychology/nevid/psychology/1e/shared/conceptcharts/ch10/conceptchart_10.1.pdf

Michael Morrison provides a Christian perspective on development:

http://campus.dyc.edu/~drwaltz/FoundLearnTheory/FLT_readings/MoralDevelMorrison.htm

Finally, here are a few questions for you.

Where does the 1985 version of DoaS differ from Miller's text?  Why is this difference important?  How does it help you understand the play more fully?

Where do the other versions that we looked at differ from Miller's text?

Where are they similar to his text?

Take a look at the 1951 version of DoaS.  How does it differ from the 1985 version?

What surprised you about reading the reviews?  How do opinions vary?

What role does Linda play in DoaS?  Why?  Is it positive or negative?

Discuss the more recent portrayals of her character.

Why do the Woman and Ben wear white in the 1985 version?

How do the various theories we discussed help you understand DoaS?

How might doing research on history, economics, gender, or the theater help you understand DoaS more?

How might a female director interpret DoaS?

How did the discussion help you understand DoaS?

What would you have liked to contribute if you had had more time?

Which question would you like to expand for the paper?

Moving on to Trifles, our next reading....

how do the men and women view each other?

why do the women handle the evidence the way that they do?

how is Glaspell's vision specifically feminine or feminist?

what role does setting play in Trifles?

how is Trifles' world different from our own?  how is it similar?

is this play worth continuing to stage?

I'm interested in seeing what you think of it!

Dr. Szlyk