Pease+UP+Rationale

Since its founding, America has been seen as a sort of Promised Land for lost individuals. People view the United States as the country of freedom and opportunity; a place where dreams can come true. This concept, more commonly referred to as the “American Dream” does not exist exclusively among immigrants. In fact, many citizens of the United States strive for this their whole lives while only a handful achieve it successfully. Variations of this theme have been present throughout much of American literature. It has also influenced modern drama. The American Dream proves to be a very dynamic topic. It means something different to each family and person. Some view it as wealth or a successful career, while others hold a more simple view in wanting their families to be happy, well-provided for, and treated equally.

For this unit plan, I have chosen two works that exhibit both of these views. //Death of a Salesman// by Arthur Miller and //A Raisin in the Sun// by Lorraine Hansberry offer two similar yet vastly different views of the American Dream. The goal of this unit is to find answers to the following questions: How does the concept of the “American Dream” change given racial and economic differences? What effect does the use of drama have on displaying the theme of the American Dream as opposed to poetry or prose literature? First, to show the variety of opinions on American Dreams, I will have students answer a prompt describing what the concept of American Dream means to them. We will then spend a short time discussing how and why they came to their conclusions. I feel it is important for students to converse with each other about the different opinions they hold. Students will respond to prompts given throughout the readings of the plays. These will allow the students to reflect on what they read, assess reading comprehension, and provide for discussion topics. My hope upon the completion of this unit is that students will have gained a better understanding of how different cultures and communities view a universal idea. The exposure to stage drama will also expand their knowledge on different types of mediums to give a message.