Final Discussion Questions - 5 PIES

Here is the homework for the weekend. Many of you got a good start on this in class. Remember that often we must write down our ideas to better understand what it is that we think. Remember to get out your shovels and dig deeply.

Please write a PIE for 5 of the 7 questions listed below. Remember a PIE must contain:

Point = Make a claim about the play that is interesting and original.

Illustration = Provide a direct quote or evidence from the play with a page citation.

Explanation = Offer Analysis of the quote that explains how it relates to the point that you make in the first sentence.

1. What is the point of Joe saying, “They were all my sons”? Why is this phrase the play’s title?
2. Why does Joe decide to shoot himself? Think about multiple reasons. What are his other options?
3. How does Chris see Joe...
o at the start of the play?
o when he discovers Joe’s guilt?
o after he reads Larry’s letter to Ann?
4. Which characters have a strong sense of obligation to others? How does that influence their actions and reactions in the play? What is said and implied about individual and social responsibility in this play?
5. How does the fact that Joe is his father affect Chris’s judgment?
6. How is the play a commentary on the concept of the American Dream?
7. Is Joe Keller basically a good man? Justify your answer.

A sample PIE from Ms. Benson:

Point: Chris' idealistic outlook changes to a shameful reality because he realizes that he was a coward for not challenging his father earlier.

Illustration: Shortly after Joe admits to his horrific lie, Chris says, "I was made yellow in this house because I suspected my father and I did nothing about it...Now if I look at him all I'm able to do is cry" (Miller 80).

Explanation: Chris' view of himself and the world are shattered as much by Joe's unethical actions as by Chris' own inability to act. Joe killed twenty-one pilots, but Chris is also guilty for allowing Steve Deever to take the fall for his dad. As Chris proclaims, "I did nothing about." As a result, Chris must now accept that his cowardly inactivity contributed to a shameful and unjust reality for the Deever family.

Notice that I offer an introductory clause that provides context for my quote.