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Alpha Stage
Sopranos
June 11, 2007




The Boston Globe is running an article entitled, "To the End,
'Sopranos' Has Its Way With Viewers' Psyches."

The article states, "Essentially, creator David Chase, who wrote and
directed the episode, left the ending entirely up to us, the viewers.
Before anything conclusive happened - before Tony, Carmela,
Meadow, and/or A.J.got shot in retribution for the death of New
York mob boss Phil Leotardo, the screen cut to pitch black. The silent
dark seemed to last forever, until the credits started to roll, and
viewers knew for certain that their TVs were not on the blink."

It reports, "Through the 86 episodes, 'The Sopranos' was a drama that
could withstand the impassioned scrutiny formerly reserved for film.
Thanks to dazzling camera work, revelatory acting, and
psychologically rich scripting, creator Chase's series earned the
respect and analysis generally accorded to works by movie auteurs
such as Martin Scorsese and Francis Ford Coppola. The show earned
breakthrough ratings for a pay-cable network, as well as 18 Emmy
awards.

Read the Article!!


Discussion Starters for Younger Children

  • What do your students think it means for something to end?
  • Consider asking students to write the meaning of the
    word "end."

  • What are your students' favorite television show?  What is their
    favorite ending for these television shows?
  • Consider asking students to draw pictures of these
    ending scenes.

  • Have your students ever made up stories?  What was the
    ending to their stories?
  • This might be a great opportunity to review work that
    students did earlier in the school year.

  • Do your students think that every story has to have an ending?  
    Why/why not?  Is it OK for a writer to tell the reader to make
    up his own ending?  Why/why not?
  • Consider placing the importance of endings on trial.


Discussion-Starters for Older Students

  • Vocabulary terms to discuss: Soprano; Psyche; Penultimate;
    and, "Impassioned Scrutiny".

  • What do your students think that people can learn from
    television, movies, and books that could help their own
    writing?  Explain!!
  • Consider asking students to develop responses to this
    question in small groups.  

  • Ask your students to explain the importance of an ending to a
    plot.  Do your students think it is acceptable for works of
    literature to conclude without formal endings?  Why/why not?
  • Consider asking students to respond to these questions
    in persuasive essays.

  • Ask your students if they can identify several different types of
    endings that writers use.  You and your students might create a
    classification system.
  • Consider asking students to develop these classification
    systems in groups and then review them as an entire
    class.
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