Assignment: Choosing lenses
Throughout this course, you have learned about different literary lenses you can use to analyze literary works: personal response, psychological, socio-economic, gender, contextual, and archetypal lenses. As you explored representation of resilience in classic theatre, short stories and poetry, and modern theatre, you practiced applying these different literary lenses to a variety of texts. For this assignment, you will write a critical analysis essay using two literary lenses to analyze how the concept of resilience is addressed in Death of a Salesman
Prewriting
A. Complete the following Literary Lenses Chart for Death of a Salesman. Filling out this chart will help you decide which two literary lenses will reveal the most insights about resilience in the play. Consider using the following resource to help you fill out the chart:
B. Questions Asked Under Each Literary Lens. You may do some additional research online to help you get started as well. You will be required to submit the completed Literary Lenses Chart along with the final copy of your essay at the end of the writing process.
C. Now that you have completed the Literary Lenses Chart, choose two of the following lenses that you feel most comfortable applying to Death of a Salesman: personal response, psychological, socio-economic, gender, contextual, and archetypal lenses. Keep in mind that you are applying the lenses in order to write about resilience. However, you are not limited only to focusing on Willy Loman. You can choose a different character or broaden your focus of characters or zero in on specific sections of the play.
D. Having decided on two literary lenses, compare and contrast how they interpret the play. Use the following questions to guide you:
a. Do the lenses provide contrasting interpretations of the play?
b. Do the lenses provide complementary interpretations of the play?
c. How well do the lenses work together?
E. You may find it helpful to use one of the following graphic organizers: Two Literary Lenses: Compare and Contrast Chart or Two Literary Lenses: Venn Diagram. You are comparing the two literary lenses to explore how they each interpret the play, in particular what they each reveal about resilience. Keep in mind that you are developing a critical analysis essay about the play, not a comparison essay on literary lenses.
F. Now that you have explored how the two literary lenses interpret the play (in particular the concept of resilience), develop a thesis statement for your essay. Your thesis statement should state your point of view on how resilience is addressed in the play drawing on the insights from both literary lenses.