The Salesman

   
The main character in Death of a Salesman makes his living by persuading other
people to buy his products. A salesman can only count himself successful if he constantly increaseshis turnover. The routine of selling is very repetitious and draining, so the
salesman has to cultivate personal qualities that will help to generate enthusiasm
and optimism in himself even though the person to whom he is selling might
appear uninterested.

     At the time this play was written, many Americans were reading a best selling
book called How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie.
Basically the thrust of this book was to demonstrate how human relations could be
exploited for practical gain. This is why Willie believes it is so important to be not
just ‘liked’ but ‘well liked’. Because if you are ‘well liked’ people will be
prepared to trust you and therefore buy what you have to sell.

"Selling is the only job in the world in which a man is paid exactly what

he is worth, and not what someone else thinks he is worth. He should love

selling for this reason, and this reason only. He has accepted a man’s job,

and it will be entirely due to his own efforts. If he fails, it will be entirely

due to his own weaknesses."

Alfred Tack, Sell Better - Live Better (1958)

Using information from the article "Generation Sell" and the introductory notes above,  respond to the following prompt:

What might it be like to sell yourself over and over again?  What could be the positive and negative effects of this lifestyle?

Parent-Child Relationships

Now that you have discussed the poem, reread your first response about your relationship with a parent. Write how the situation in the poems that you’ve selected is similar to or different from your own life. (2-3 paragraphs) Refer to specific LINES from the poems.  

You may also write about how the situation in the poems is similar to or different from the lives of the average teenager today.

You must properly introduce and blend lines from the poem into your response.

Please evaluate your response using the Wamogo Communication Rubric

	4- EXEMPLARY	3- PROFICIENT	2 -DEVELOPING
Position: Did you meet all the requirements of the assignment?	The student clearly addresses task, purpose, and audience. They have gone above and beyond the expectations of the assignment. Images are thoughtfully chosen.	The student addresses task, purpose, and/or audience They have met the requirements of the assignment.  Images match the content.	The student weakly addresses task, purpose, and/or audience. They have barely met the requirements of the assignment. Images are not original or do not match the content.
Evidence and Support Do you include appropriate and reliable information in your presentation?	The presentation  is richly supported with information from a source(s) material.The supporting ideas in the response are well developed; information is accurate and relevant.	The position in the response contains some support using information from a source(s) material.The supporting ideas in the response are generally developed; information is accurate and relevant.	The presentation contains limited support or may not use information from source materials. The ideas in the response are not thoroughly or only somewhat developed; some information may be inaccurate or irrelevant.
Organization	The presentation is unified and focused ideas; organization and control are sustained throughout	The presentation is organized ideas; digressions, if present, are not disruptive.	The presentation may lack focus;  there may be digressions or abrupt shifts that interfere with meaning.
Composition Is your presentation edited?  Is it thoughtful? Does it reflect pride and professionalism?	The student chooses formats/platforms to communicate clearly; the student clearly meets the standards required in the discipline.	The student chooses appropriate formats/platforms to communicate. The student response meets most of the standards required in the discipline.	The student may choose inappropriate formats/platforms to communicate. The student response is limited in meeting the standards required in the discipline.

Poems