Page 61 - Point 5 Literature Program Option 1 Teachers Guide (2) (1)

ALL MY SONS
arthur miller

Student’s Coursebook, page 62

HOTS taught: Comparing and contrasting
HOTS spiraled: Making connections, Uncovering motives
Literary Terms taught: Act, Drama, Characterization

Background Information
Biography
arthur miller (1915–2005) was the son of Polish-Jewish immigrants to the United states. He
completed All My Sons in 1946, just after the end of World War II. It was the first of his plays
to become a success on new york’s Broadway. Together with london’s West End, Broadway
theaters present the best plays in the English-speaking world.

General Interpretation
The booklet containing the play that the class chooses to use will have ample and detailed
analysis of its content, structure and literary merit as a modern tragedy. There are also
comprehensive analyses available on the web at appropriate levels of English.

Working Through the Unit

Pre-Reading Activity
The discussion on this topic is likely to be very lively, as the issue is an important one for Israeli
students. some students are also likely to realize that service to one’s country should bring with it
family security for all. allow time for class comments after each group has presented a viewpoint.

Basic Understanding
Questions on each Act of the play are designed to verify that the students have a grasp of the setting,
characters and events. you can choose which questions to assign or have students choose a number
of questions to answer. as the play is not reproduced here, questions are in chronological order for
ease of reference to the text.

Key Vocabulary
students may refer to the Key Vocabulary lists when they do the Vocabulary Practice exercises.

Act I
Vocabulary Practice
Answers:
1. a. clings to
b. scattered, stump, toppled
c. outskirts, secluded
d. saunter in, fortunate
e. tendency
f. needling, peeved
2. a. snaps
b. undercurrent, exasperates, preoccupied, infuriates, mystified

all my sons 61