DOAS Study Questions

1. Personal interaction operates on two levels in the play, on within the Loman family and one between the Lomans and the larger society. Which one level is Death of a Salesman most effective -- as a depiction of family conflicts or as a social commentary? Explain.

2. Define "The American Dream." In what way does Death of a Salesman point out the hopelessness of chasing this dream? Are there any rewards?

   3. Is Death of a Salesman a tragedy and Willy Loman a tragic hero, or is his death merely the pathetic demise of a small man? (Must a tragedy involve a great individual?)

4. Does Willy's world end or did it ever exist (as he thought it did) in the first place?

5. Does Willy truly self destruct or is his tragic end brought about by society? Is Willy self aware enough to self destruct? Explain.

6. The quotes listed below are from Arthur Miller’s essay, “Tragedy And The Common Man.” Choose one or more of Miller’s assertions as what you see as the theme for the play. Explain.

A) “The tragic feeling is evoked in us when we are in the presence of a character who is ready to lay down his life, if need be, to secure one thing—his sense of personal dignity.”

B) “[The tragic flaw is] the hero’s unwillingness to be passive in the face of what he conceives to be a challenge to his dignity, his image of his rightful status.”

C) “Observing the individual pitted against the unchangeable environment elicits our pity and fear. When the consequence of this individual evaluating himself justly results in his destruction, that suggest an evil or a wrong in his environment. This is the moral lesson of tragedy—its discovery of moral law.’

D) “Tragedy involves a questioning of the conditions of life—the tragedist must be fearless about questioning everything; no institution is immutable, everlasting, inevitable. It is all brought forth for examination. For instance, the “naturalness” of the value of “getting ahead” in American culture.”

E) “Tragedy is not pessimistic…”

TRANSITION WORDS/PHRASES

Transitions indicate relations,
whether within a sentence, paragraph, or paper.
This list illustrates "relationships" between ideas,
followed by words and phrases that can connect them.

Addition:
also, again, as well as, besides, coupled with, furthermore, in addition, likewise, moreover, similarly

Consequence:
accordingly, as a result, consequently, for this reason, for this purpose, 
hence, otherwise, so then, subsequently, therefore, thus, thereupon, wherefore

Generalizing:
as a rule, as usual, for the most part,
generally, generally speaking, ordinarily, usually

Exemplifying:
chiefly, especially, for instance, in particular, markedly, namely, 
particularly, including, specifically, such as

Illustration:
for example, for instance, for one thing, as an illustration, 
illustrated with, as an example, in this case

Emphasis
above all, chiefly, with attention to, especially, particularly, singularly

Similarity:
comparatively, coupled with, correspondingly, identically, likewise, similar, moreover, together with

Exception:
 aside from, barring, besides, except, excepting, excluding, exclusive of, other than, outside of, save

Restatement:
in essence, in other words, namely, that is, that is to say, 
in short, in brief, to put it differently

Contrast and Comparison:
contrast, by the same token, conversely, instead, likewise,
on one hand, on the other hand, on the contrary, rather,
similarly, yet, but, however, still, nevertheless, in contrast

Sequence:
at first, first of all, to begin with, in the first place, at the same time,
for now, for the time being, the next step, in time, in turn, later on,
meanwhile, next, then, soon, the meantime, later, while, earlier,
simultaneously, afterward, in conclusion, with this in mind,

Summarizing:
after all, all in all, all things considered, briefly, by and large, in any case, in any event, 
in brief, in conclusion, on the whole, in short, in summary, in the final analysis, 
in the long run, on balance, to sum up, to summarize, finally

Diversion:
by the way, incidentally

Direction:
here, there, over there, beyond, nearly, opposite, under, above,
to the left, to the right, in the distance

Essay/Paper Checklist For ALL Classes

INTRODUCTION

• Introduction has a clear, obvious Thesis Statement

• The topic of each of the Body Paragraphs is presented clearly, obviously and in order.

BODY PARAGRAPHS

• Each and every Body Paragraph has a clear, obvious Topic Sentence.

• Each Body Paragraph gives clear evidence and arguments to support the Topic Sentence.

• Each Body Paragraph begins and/or is finished with transitional words and phrases or sentences that clearly connect it to it's preceding and following Body Paragraphs.

CONCLUSION

• Conclusion clearly and obviously restates the Thesis Statement.

• Conclusion clearly and obviously reviews topics sentences of each of the body paragraphs.

• You use the Conclusion to present some new information, questions, insights, or ideas.

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly Study Questions

1. Explain the significance of the title of the film (and book), metaphorically speaking.

2. How does Jean-Dominique's life as a magazine editor enable him to create a life full of adventure and vitality?

3. Do you find Jean-Dominique a sympathetic character? Who do you feel is the most sympathetic character?

4. What positive and negative attitudes does Jean-Dominique show during the course of the film, and how do people around him respond?

5. In many ways Jean-Dominique's world ends more dramatically that even that of Elie. Explain why or why not?

PAPER #1

1. Carefully define the Void. What does it mean to “touch” it? Explain similarities and differences in the “Void touching” experiences of either Joe, Elie, Gregor and/or Jean-Dominique.

2. Compare and contrast any (all?) of the poems to either Touching the Void, Night, and/or The Metamorphosis.

3. Explain the differences and similarities to the “world ending” experiences of Joe, Elie, Gregor and/or Jean-Dominique.

4. Using the article that was handed out about “The Myth of Permanence,” (November 2009 issue of Shambhala Sun) analyze each text (Touching the Void, Night, The Metamorphosis, and The Diving Bell and the Butterfly from that perspective.

The Metamorphosis Study Questions

1. Metaphorically, what does it mean to be a bug? Has there ever been a time when you felt this way? If you care to, please explain.

2. Do you have any sympathy for Gregor? If so, why? And if not, why not?

3. Obviously, Gregor's world “ends” when he turns into an insect. But what does it really change in his relationships with his family? Explain.

4. Is there any way to view this story in a positive light? Explain why or why not?

Night Study Questions #1

1. How does Elie describe himself?

2. How important is religion to the way Elie defines his identity?

3. Why do you think they refuse to believe Moshe when he returns to Sighet?

4. Do you think people really believe that Moshe is lying to them? What is the difference between saying that someone is lying and saying hat you cannot believe what he or she is saying?

5. How do the Jews of Sighet react to the arrival of the Germans? The creation of the ghettos? Their own deportation? How do you account for these responses?

6. Why do you think Elie Wiesel begins Night with the story of Moshe the Beadle?

7. What lessons does the narrator seem to learn from Moshe's experiences in telling his own story?

8. Why does Madame Schächter scream? Why does she later become silent and withdrawn? How do people react the first time she screams? How do they respond when her screams continue? How would you respond?

9. Is she a madwoman? A prophet? Or a witness? What is the difference

between the three labels?

10. How is Madame Schächter like Moshe the Beadle? Does she, too,

know or sense something that others refuse to believe?

Night Study Questions #2

Night #2

1. Primo Levi, who was also at Auschwitz-Birkenau, wrote in his novella, Survival in Auschwitz:

It is not possible to sink lower than this: no human condition is

more miserable than this, nor could it conceivably be so. Nothing

belongs to us any more; they have taken away our clothes, our

shoes, even our hair; if we speak, they will not listen to us, and if

they listen, they will not understand. They will even take away

our name: and if we want to keep it, we will have to find ourselves

the strength to do so, to manage so that behind the name something

of us, of us, as we were, remains.

How are Levi's responses to his initiation into Auschwitz similar to

those of Elie? What differences seem most striking?

2. Elie describes two hangings. He tells the reader that he witnessed many others. Yet he chose to write only about these two. Why are these two hangings so important to him? How do they differ from the others?

3. Why do you think the Germans chose to hang a few prisoners in public at a time when they are murdering thousands each day in the crematoriums?

4. When the young boy is hanged, a prisoner asks, "Where is God now?" Elie thinks to himself, "He is hanging here on this gallows.." What does this statement mean? Is it a statement of despair? Anger? Or hope? Explain.

5. Wiesel said the following of inmates who tried "to show the killers they could be just like them":

No one has the right to judge them, especially not those who did not

experience Auschwitz or Buchenwald . The sages of our Tradition

state point-blank: "Do not judge your fellow-man until you stand in

his place." In other words, in the same situation, would I have acted

as he did? Sometimes doubt grips me. Suppose I had spent not

eleven months but eleven years in a concentration camp. Am I sure I

would have kept my hands clean? No, I am not, and no one can be.

How does Wiesel try to help us understand why it is so difficult to judge those who "tried to play the executioner's game"?

Wiesel writes that he prefers to remember "the kindness and compassion" of his fellow prisoners rather than those who were cruel or violent. Why does he view both as victims?

6. What is the meaning of the title, Night ?