essay on Arthur Millers play Death of a Salesman (1949)

Arthur Millers play Death of a Salesman (1949)

Topic: Researched Essay

• Format: MLA. Access the Purdue OWL MLA Formatting and Style Guide here- https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01/
• Length Requirement: minimum of 1000 – 1500 words
• All sources must be cited

Your Process:

You are researching and writing an essay on Arthur Millers play Death of a Salesman (1949).

 

Instructions:

Part 1:

• Perform a character study. Discuss what motivates this character to do what he or she does or perhaps discuss how and why the character deals with the conflicts within the play. You could also choose to compare and contrast two characters.

Part 2:

• Make sure you have a strong thesis statement. This should not be a question or something “obvious” and undebatable like a synopsis of what happens in the play. Instead, it should be your own fresh idea that takes a firm stance on your chosen aspect of the play.

 

• Set forth to prove your assertion about the text. To do so, you need to:
  • Analyze your primary source (Death of a Salesman) and find quotations that support your assertion.
  • Find secondary sources (scholarly articles) to back up your assertion. (Include these sources in your working bibliography.) This is your scholarly research. By finding scholars to support your ideas or even counter them, you are backing up your own thoughts using evidence from experts in the field.
• Follow MLA Format:
  • Use MLA format for the paper: Purdue Owl: MLA info
  • Length:  minimum of 1000 – 1500 words
  • Include a Works Cited Page, not to be counted in the 1000-1500 word minimum
  • Appropriate Scholarly Secondary Sources Included:  minimum of 3 scholarly sources. You are required to use at least one direct quote or paraphrase in the body of your essay from each of your three required secondary sources in order to meet the minimum requirements of this research essay. Be sure to have an appropriate title for your essay (See Titling Your Essay)
• Write with an analytical purpose: Do not spend too much space summarizing the text.  Assume that your reader has already read or seen the play. Aim for an organized paper that offers your reader some new insight into the play. 

In summary:
  • You make an assertion.
  • You prove it with textual examples.
  • You back it up with other scholarly support from your research.

Academic Honesty

Plagiarism in any form is unacceptable. Please ask if you have questions about what constitutes plagiarism. Your words and your ideas must be your own.

Formatting and Style

Be sure to maintain an appropriate academic tone (no slang, second-person, contractions, etc.)

Your essay should be typed, double-spaced, in 12-point Times New Roman font, with one-inch margins, and numbered pages. Include your name, my name, the title of the class, and the date in the upper left-hand corner of the first page. Center your title (you do not need to underline or italicize it) and place it above the body of the essay. Do not include a title page.