Justin Yu 6-3-11Ms. Lau E10

Death of a Salesman by: Arthur Miller

Plot Summary:

The main character is Willy Loman who is an old salesman who is married to his wife

Linda Loman. Willy is an salesman who is quite unsuccessful and feels that he is not a proud

father because he is to two sons whose names are Happy and Biff Loman. Willy tries many

attempts to suicide but fails, and is wife knowing this, she tries to comfort Willy, saying that he

is a great man. Willy Loman tried to be the best salesman and be known by everyone. He wanted

tones of people to go to his grave when he dies. After his son Biff finally calls out to his father

that he has done enough, he kills himself.

Conflict:

1. The main conflict that was within this story was Willy Loman who tried to be a famous

salesman, but cannot due to age and his son’s acceptance.

2. External Conflict(person v. person, person v nature, person v society)

Internal Conflict(person v self)

The conflict with Willy Loman was between him and his son who finds his father quite mad.

He has conflicts with himself through attempts of suicide.

Willy Loman’s conflict with society whom continues to deny him even with

He tries to deny that he is old and that he not as popular as he thought he was.

His conflict with Bernard whom he used to make fun of because of his hard work, but now sees him as a successful man while his sons are not doing anything.

Characterization:1. a) Willy Loman- The main protagonist who is at an really old age still believing that he

will be recognized in this world as a famous salesman.

b) Linda Loman- The wife of Willy Loman, she encourages Willy Loman to go out for

his dreams. Even knowing that Willy commits suicide, she does nothing to stop him.

c) Biff Loman- The son of Willy Loman who is possibly the antagonist only because he

seems to let his father down by telling him truth about his failure and to tell him to stop

pursuing his dream because he felt that it was enough of him to become famous.

2. Willy doesn’t really change much as the story progresses. He just continues to feel more

anger toward himself because his sons were there. And his attempts of suicide become

more realistic.

3. Willy Loman tries extremely hard to find a job that can make him a famous salesman, but

because of his old age, this restrained him from pursuing his dream. He tries his best, but

his son Biff eventually tells him that he has done enough. That he did his best with tears.

So then Willy kills himself.

4. Willy doesn’t really learn much of a lesson because at this point he is dead, but to Biff he

learned that a great man was dead, and as for Linda she feels that he did his best he could

even though almost no one went to visit his grave.

Physical Description Main character’s actions and words

Describe the main character’s thoughts and feelings

What do others think of the main character?

Willy Loman was an old man. He dressed like any old salesman

And when I saw that, I realized that selling was the greatest career a man could want. ’Cause what

Biff thinks of his father as some crazy maniac who’s turned into some work-a-holic man.

could be more satisfying than to be able to go, at the age of eighty-four, into twenty or thirty different cities, and pick up a phone, and be remembered and loved and helped by so many different people?

Theme:

1. Title: Death of a Salesman

a) It literally means the death of a salesman is a big one for one particular man. And

Willy Loman wishes for that kind of death.

b) It figuratively means that the death of Willy Loman is what the death of a salesman is.

That is what Willy Loman wished for.

2. Some recurring images are his flashbacks, and also all of the suicidal attempts.

3. a) The story reveals to us the cruelty of society and also the wishes of a man cannot come

true if it is just a dream. Also, it teaches us that only hard work and dedication is

necessary to have a successful life.

b) Some insights that were given to us about human nature is that we particularly want

what is best for us, without trying our best.

A Thousand Splendid Suns by: Khaled Hosseini

Plot Summary:

Basically what happened in this story is that we are introduced to Mariam who was a

little girl who lived with her mother Nana who taught her that men were evil. That they will use a

women for their own comfort. Later on in the story she was rejected by her father Jalil and was

put to marry a man named Rasheed. The second part of the story goes to Laila who was in love

with a man named Tariq. And because this was during the war, Tariq lost a leg. Laila grew up

with Tariq, but because of war, they both got separated. Laila’s family was bombed, and she was

picked up and treated by Rasheed. Laila becomes Rasheeds second wife, and they were both

treated very badly. One day they had enough when Rasheed was beating, them, so Mariam killed

Rasheed and was sent to prison for execution while Laila ran away with the kids to Tariq who

was still alive.

Conflict:

1. The main conflict that was in this literary work was male dominance and the way

female’s were being treated in Afghanistan.

2.

External Conflict(person v person, person v nature, person v society)

Internal Conflict(person v self)

Mariam’s relationship with her father Jalil who she thought was a great man, but left her and now after all that pain she regrets not listening to her mother Nana who killed herself because Mariam was gone from her that day.

Mariam’s disbelief in thinking that her father was a great man. Her mother killing herself. She thought that it was her fault that it happened.

Laila’s relationship with her lover with Tariq was an omen and was not to be known at all, because she lost her virginity which was considered sacred and only the

Laila’s conflict with having to deal with a child who was not her husbands and the fact that she loves another man and also the fact that

person who you married to is allowed to take it.The relationship between Laila and Mariam were very bitter at first because of jelousy and also the fact that they really needed to release this anger somehow so they released it towards each other, but it also created a new friendship.

Characterization:

1. a) Mariam- She is actually maybe both an protagonist and an antagonist, because of the

fact that she wants to stop Laila at first because she disliked her, but ended up helping her

out with great deeds.

b) Laila- She is an protagonist who helps out Mariam out with her life and her way of

living with her kids. She showed Mariam the greatness of living through the life of

others.

c) Rasheed- The main antagonist who tries to abuse both Mariam and Laila from their

life. He tries to hurt them intentionally because of the fact that males were more dominant

then that of females.

2. Mariam changes throughout the story from when she liked Jalil and after the betrayal she

regretted the decision she made throughout her life because she lost her mother and now

her father.

Laila changed from becoming a helpless little girl who grows up to making her own

decisions and making the tough decisions herself after her parents were killed from a

bombing accident.

3. Both Laila and Mariam react to the conflict of females being inferior to men, by killing

Rasheed when he was trying to beat Laila again. Mariam made the initiative move to the

shovel and killing him.

4. The lessons that they learned was really appreciate what you have and make sure to

cherish the good things in this world because it will soon go away.

Physical Description Main Character’s actions and words

Describe the main character’s thoughts and feelings

What do others think of the main character?

Mariam has a very boney face and has very thin lips and also a very narrow head.While Laila is a very beautiful girl with blond hair .

Mariam killed Rasheed which lead to the safety of Laila and her children. This saved them from having to deal with Rasheed again with his tyranny.

Mariam’s thought with her new sons and daughter brought happiness to her like never before. She never felt happiness for a very long time, before she was in the shack with her mother Nana and her father Jalil would rarely visit them with gifts.

Other character’s think of Laila as a very weird girl because of the fact that she had blond hair which was very unusual for an Afghan to have.

Theme:

1. Title: A Thousand Splendid Suns

a) The title literally means that there are thousands of splendid suns to actually show

happiness.

b) It figuratively means that the relationship between someone cannot be harmed at all

whatsoever for that person is joined with her/him for eternity.

2. Some recurring images that would pop up are the burqa which symbolize the fact that

protections and the ability to feel safe from society and be hidden from everyone’s eyes.

3. a) The story reveals to us how women are being treated in Afghanistan. To show how

war affects everyone and effecting people around them.

b) It shows how inhuman people are toward to females especially towards to the men

side, because of their tradition of having the female to do work and to be abused is just

wrong.

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest by: Ken Kesey

Plot Summary:

The whole novel was played in the eyes of Chief Bromden who is a patient at a mental

institute for almost ten years now and as he continues to live in the ward a new patient comes in.

His name was Randle McMurphy and he believed that he will make Nurse Ratched break and go

completely mad. Soon though McMurphy realizes that he won’t be able leave the institute unless

the doctors say that he is cured. So he starts to behave, until he decides that they should get a

boating trip. They end up stealing a school bus and go fishing, as a symbolism of strength and

courage. When they arrived back at the institute, McMurphy had an electrotherapy treatment, but

arrived back as if nothing actually happened. Once again he plans another party which he ends

up getting caught again, ripping off Nurse Ratched shirt, he was sent for lobotomy. He comes

back as a vegetable and Chief Bromden kills him so that he won’t live as an example for

Ratched. Chief Bromden gets his strength back and escapes the ward.

Conflict:

1. The main conflict in the story was freedom of choice and having the freedom to do

anything you wish to do and that it, being taken away.

2.

External Conflict(person v person, person v nature, person v society)

Internal Conflict(person v self)

The conflict between McMurphy and Nurse Ratched were pretty big because they are both opposing sides fighting for what they believe is right.

The internal conflict with Chief Bromden had to deal with when he was a child like he was being ignored and didn’t seem to be noticed by anyone.

When the conflict between Chief Bromden and the Nurse Ratched arose he continued to deny her and her way of treatment.

Characterization:

1. a. Chief Bromden- the main character of the story, he isn’t really played much as a big

role, but more of the point of view we are seeing in.

b. Randle McMurphy- He is more of the protagonist who is trying his best to show that

the people in the clinic do have minds of their own and should be able to do whatever

they feel like doing.

c. Nurse Ratched- The head nurse of the clinic and also is the main antagonist who tries

to suppress the people in the clinics thoughts by bombarding each other with hateful

comments about their failure in life.

2. At first McMurphy thought the clinic was some kind of paradise were he can just lay

back and relax and do pretty much whatever he pleased. That is what he did until he

realized that he could not leave the institute unless the nurse were to say that he is cured.

So he becomes more obedient. Later realizing things were missing he still continued to

act like he always were to act. After acting brutal toward Nurse Ratched he was sent to

lobotomy.

3. He reacts by completely wanting to be killed because he did not want to be framed as a

example for Nurse Ratched to use to create obedience within the clinic. So McMurphy

asked Bromden to kill him.

4. The lesson that they learn is to freely express whatever kind of trouble they have.

Anybody even from the others should have the freedom to choose.

Physical Description Main character’s actions and words

Describe the main character’s thoughts and feelings

What do others think of the main character?

Chief Bromden is a very tall guy who looks like an American Indian. Strangely enough

Chief Bromden put out McMurphy’s misery and just killed him and showed that he did have strength

His thoughts about McMurphy were different from other people who came to the clinic

Other characters think of Chief Bromden as some stupid tall man, others think of him

doesn’t really try to talk to much to other people likes to keep quite.

again to do what he pleases.

as shy, while McMurphy thinks of him as strong guy.

Theme:

1. Title: One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest

a. The title literally means that there is a clinic were people are sent there to be fixed for

society

b. The title figuratively means that there are people who flew over the cuckoo’s nest

who were able to overcome it. The obstacles of being in the institute.

2. Some recurring image that would show up would be the sink that would mean the pass to

freedom and the link to being in the pass again.

3.

a. The story reveals to us the true nature of what people try to do in clinics or mental

institutions.

b. It shows that humans really desire freedom and the choice to make that freedom. Also

the decisions to make in life are crucial and important.