Monday May 3, 2010

English III Honors- The Crucible by Arthur Miller
PAPER- due Monday May 10
Length: minimum of 500 words; typed (of course)
MLA heading

Assignment: You are clinical psychologist and find that one of your new clients has participated in the recent (yes, this is an anachronism) events over in Salem that left several people hanged, and not a few in prison. The psychology behind these intrigues has piqued your interest and now an active participant sits before you. This is your opportunity to bring understanding to his or her behavior.

1. Choose one character that you find particularly interesting. Note in detail his or her behavior in the play.

2. Using the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV) (on line ( http://allpsych.com/disorders/dsm.html), read through the clinical symptoms.

3. Based upon the diagnostic criteria, you are going to prove that this character is afflicted with a _________________________ and therefore the courts and / or community should show compassion in sentencing / judging this individual. (note this is your thesis!)

4. How will you specifically “prove” your diagnosis? Why through textual evidence (in this case dialogue primarily).

5. There are no “right” answers in this paper. You may use as much lateral discretion as you wish, the only criteria being you support your diagnosis.

HAVE FUN!

I suggest that you open up a word document and copy in the information for the disorder to help you with the paper.
The following will take you right to the disorders.

http://allpsych.com/disorders/disorders_alpha.html

Bonus for Tuesday: 50 points
What do Bertolt Brecht, Ring Lardner, Jr and Larry Parks have in common?
50 more
How does Elia Kazan, the director of Tennessee William's play A Street Car Named Desire, which we will be reading, stand in contrast to the above named individuals?