Great 5

The Glass Menagerie Soundtrack Project

Task: You are to create the soundtrack album for a soon to be released movie version of The Glass Menagerie.

Basic Objectives: To collect four songs that represent, reflect, or otherwise relate to four key passages from The Glass Menagerie. For each song, you will turn in a justification for why that song was chosen as the backdrop to that particular passage. This justification will follow the attached format. The lyrics (the song must have lyrics – no instrumentals) will be included at the end of the explanation sheet. The rubrics go at the very end.

The Glass Menagerie Song Justification

The following format must be followed exactly in order to receive full credit. You will retype this format on your own using Calibri or Times New Roman font in 11-point size with single spacing. Each justification is not to exceed 200 words.

Track number:

Title:

Artist:

Album: (include the copyright date)

Scene: (include page numbers)

Explanation:

The explanation is the key. Essentially write a well-written, short essay explaining the connection between that song and the scene from the novel. Do not write a mere summary of the scene and/or the song. Go beneath the surface of the words in the novel and the words in the lyrics to tie them both together. Discuss themes, what is going on internally with the characters, and/or the mood occurring within both the song and the scene and how they reflect one another. Remember you are trying to convince someone that that song fits that scene perfectly. On the following rubrics, fill-in the song titles and submit with the song justifications.

Student Sample: This sample is from the novel The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger. Notice how it uses both the text and lines from the song to back up the idea that the theme of “loneliness and alienation” is introduced early in the novel by this song. Also, notice how the justification talks about what is going on inside the character of Holden Caulfield.

Track number: 1

Title: “One”

Artist: Aimee Mann

Album: For the Love of Harry: Everybody Sings Nilsson (1995)

Scene: This would play during the opening scene of the novel as Holden walks around the campus alone (p. 2-5).

Explanation:

To start the film for The Catcher in the Rye, a song that could get the soundtrack going is “One” as sung by Aimee Mann. The song “One” could actually be used in many different scenes from the novel. As it talks about the number one being “the loneliest number that you'll ever know,” just about any time that Holden is by himself feeling lonely, this song would match perfectly. However, first time we see him alone would be the perfect time to introduce this theme of loneliness.

As Holden walks toward the football game, the opening lyrics would be playing in the background. As Holden is watching from on top of a hill above the football field, he notes that “the whole school except me was there” (Salinger 2). This is maybe the first time he mentions that he is by himself, something that happens throughout the book. All of this fit very well with the second stanza of the song, especially the line “’No’ is the saddest experience you'll ever know,” because he has just been told “no” by the school. “No” you don’t belong here, and “no” you can’t stay. This sense of not belonging is starting to sink into Holden and we first see it in the opening scenes of him alone at a school full of kids his age.

“One”

One is the loneliest number that you'll ever do Two can be as bad as one It's the loneliest number since the number one

"No" is the saddest experience you'll ever know Yes, it's the saddest experience you'll ever know Because one is the loneliest number that you'll ever do One is the loneliest number that you'll ever know

It's just no good anymore since you went away Now I spend my time just making rhymes of yesterday

Because one is the loneliest number that you'll ever do One is the loneliest number that you'll ever know One is the loneliest number One is the loneliest number One is the loneliest number that you'll ever do

One is the loneliest number, much much worse than two One is the number divided by two

25 pts TITLE:

Connects the song to one of the following: one theme, what’s occurring within a character, or the overall mood of the scene. Connects the song to another one of the following: one theme, what’s occurring within a character, or the overall mood of the scene. Is well-written with few grammatical errors.

Is written persuasively and is convincing.

Completes all other elements of the justification correctly, such as the format, the dates, and the page numbers.

25 pts TITLE:

Connects the song to one of the following: one theme, what’s occurring within a character, or the overall mood of the scene. Connects the song to another one of the following: one theme, what’s occurring within a character, or the overall mood of the scene. Is well-written with few grammatical errors.

Is written persuasively and is convincing.

Completes all other elements of the justification correctly, such as the format, the dates, and the page numbers.

25 pts TITLE:

Connects the song to one of the following: one theme, what’s occurring within a character, or the overall mood of the scene. Connects the song to another one of the following: one theme, what’s occurring within a character, or the overall mood of the scene. Is well-written with few grammatical errors.

Is written persuasively and is convincing.

Completes all other elements of the justification correctly, such as the format, the dates, and the page numbers.

25 pts TITLE:

Connects the song to one of the following: one theme, what’s occurring within a character, or the overall mood of the scene. Connects the song to another one of the following: one theme, what’s occurring within a character, or the overall mood of the scene. Is well-written with few grammatical errors.

Is written persuasively and is convincing.

Completes all other elements of the justification correctly, such as the format, the dates, and the page numbers.

Template for you to use:

Track number:

Title:

Artist:

Album: (include the copyright date)

Scene: (include page numbers)

Explanation:

Add lyrics in this box