Please answer one of the following essay prompts in a double spaced, 3-4 page paper. In answering one of these questions you must reference at least one specific example from Death of a Salesman OR A Raisin in the Sun. You must also incorporate no less than 3 key terms from lectures, being sure to explain what the term means, when it took place, and why it is historically significant. Again, please bold your key terms so that they are easier for us to identify.
For this paper, as before, you must have an argument. Arguments often answer a “how?” “why?” or “so what?” question. Arguments can also be argued against. Also, please remember that it is better to write deeply than broadly, that is, it is better to go into a detailed description of a few examples than to try to write about many examples in vague/abstract terms.
Also, for this paper please note that the two plays we’re reading are fictional, even though they speak to real people’s experiences and reflect historical events. In other words, you should not discuss the Lomans or the Youngers as if they were historical figures. Rather, the best papers will analyze what these plays reveal about this period in American history and culture, and what their authors were trying to convey through them.
Reminders:
Please specify in your heading whether you are answering prompt #1 or #2.
Please use Times New Roman, 12pt font and one inch margins.
As before, I prefer Chicago Manual of Style citations, formatted as endnotes. No bibliography is necessary.
Question #1: The 1950s and early 1960s are typically represented as a period of intense social and cultural conformity. To what extent is this understanding of the postwar period true? Be sure to include specific examples that challenge this understanding of the past.
Question #2: The post-WWII period is often remembered as the moment when the American dream became a reality. What was the American dream at this moment? Why and how were some groups of people excluded from it?
