TheaterAppreciationARTHURMILLEROfthelistofAmericanplaywrightstheoneIthoughtI wouldfindmostinterestingisArthurMiller.BeingrelativelyfamiliarwithsomeofhisworkI wantedtolearnmoreabouthimThroughtheresearchIhavedoneIhavebeenabletofindsome veryinterestinginformationaboutMiller'sworkaswellashispersonallife.ArthurMillerwasborn inNewYorkonOctober17,1915.Hisfather,IsidoreMiller,wasaladies–wearmanufacturerand shopkeeperwhosebusinesswasruinedintheGreatDepression.Thisobviouslyhadahugeimpact onthefamily'sfinancialsituationwhichinturnhadastronginfluenceonMiller.Thefamilywas forcedtomovetoasmallframehouseinBrooklyn,whichissaidshowmorecontent
Miller'sworkeventuallymadeittoBroadwaystartingwithTheManWhoHadalltheLuckin1944. Itclosedafterfourperformances.ThreeyearslaterhereturnedtoBroadwayproducingAllMy Sons,thestoryofafactoryownerwhosellsfaultyaircraftpartsduringWorldWarIIItwonthe NewYorkDramaCriticsCircleAward.Thisbeinghisfirstmajoraward,hisworkwouldcontinue toreceivecriticalacclaimforyears,howevertherewouldstillbeupsanddowns.ArthurMiller's workvariedoverthenextseveralyears.In1944ArthurtouredArmycampstocollectbackground materialforhisscreenplayTheStoryofGIJoe.Milleralsowrotehisfirstnovel,Focus(1945), whichwasastoryaboutanti–SemitismIn1949Miller'sDeathofaSalesmanbroughthim internationalfame.Thisbecameprobablyoneofhismostwellknownpiecesofworkaswellasa majorachievementofmodernAmericantheatre.DeathofaSalesmanisastoryaboutthequestfor theAmericanDream.Thesalesman,WillyLoman,isamanofpridewhoisnotthegreatsuccess thatheclaimstobetohisfamilyandfriends.Duetothepostwareconomicboomhelooseshisjob andgoesintoadownwardspiralHebeginstohallucinateaboutsignificanteventsfromhispastand eventuallyhecomestotheconclusionthatheisworthmoredeadthanalive.Willykillshimselfin hiscar,hopingthattheinsurancemoneywillsupporthisfamily
EssayaboutArthurMiller
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ArthurMiller
Intro
DeathofaSalesmanisaplaywrittenin1949byArthurMiller,themanwhowouldlatergoonto writetheCrucible.ArthurMillerbasedthecharacterofWillyLomanoffofhisuncle,whowasa travelingsalesmanandfeltcompetitivewithhisownsonstowardsArthurandhisownbrother.After bumpingintoArthurinBoston,MannyshortlycommittedsuicideInhislife,Arthurhadknown threepeoplewhohadcommittedsuicideandtwoofthoseweretravelingsalesman.Arthurwasso passionateaboutthisplaythathehadfinishedAct1inonlyoneday,andAct2wasfinishedsix weekslater("DeathofaSalesman:StudyGuide")Thisplay,consideredbymanytobeoneofthe greatestplaysofthe20thcentury,hasfeaturedonBroadwayfor...showmorecontent...
Miller'sfatherownedawomen'sclothingcompanyandduringtheDepression,helosthisbusiness, andtheirfamilymovedtoBrooklyn.AfterhighschoolMillerworkedatabunchofdifferentjobsin ordertosavemoneyforcollege.HeattendedtheUniversityofMichiganandspentasignificant amountofthosefouryearslearningtowriteandcreatingplaysandhisfirstwascalledNoVillainIn 1940,hemarriedMaryGraceSlatteryandtheyhadtwochildren,JaneandRobert.Afterhereceived hisdegree,hejoinedtheFederalTheaterProjectinNewYorkCity(Galvin).HisfirstBroadway play,TheManWhoHadAlltheLuck,openedin1944andwasafailure,buthisnextplay,AllMy Sons,wasextremelysuccessful.OnlytwoyearsafterthesuccessofAllMySons,Millercameout withhismostfamousandwell–respectedwork,DeathofaSalesmanThisplaywonhimbotha PulitzerPrizeandaDramaCriticsCircleAward,andranformorethan700performances.Withina shortwhile,ithadbeentranslatedintooveradozenlanguagesandhadmadeMilleramillionaire. Millerbeganworkonhisnextmajorplay,theCrucibleTheCruciblewassetinSalemduringthe witch–huntsofthelate17thcentury,butwasalsobasedoffofMcCarthyisminthe1950s.After MillerdivorcedSlattery,hemarriedMarilynMonroein1956.In1956and1957,Millerwas subpoenaedbytheHouseUn–AmericanActivitiesCommitteeandwasconvictedofcontemptof CongressforhisrefusaltoidentifywritersbelievedtoholdCommunistsympathies.Thefollowing year,theUnitedStatesCourtofAppealsoverturnedtheconvictionAdifficulttimeinhislife, MillerendedhismarriagewithactressMarilynMonroein1960.Millerfinallymarriedphotographer IngeMorathin1962,withwhomhelivesinConnecticut.HeandIngehadfirstadaughter,Rebecca.
Thentheyhadason,Daniel,whowasbornwithDownSyndromeandwas
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A
IntheperiodimmediatelyfollowingtheendofWorldWarII,Americantheaterwastransformedby theworkofplaywrightArthurMiller.ProfoundlyinfluencedbytheDepressionandthewarthat immediatelyfollowedit,Millertappedintoasenseofdissatisfactionandunrestwithinthegreater AmericanpsycheHisprobingdramasprovedtobeboththeconscienceandredemptionofthe times,allowingpeopleanhonestviewofthedirectionthecountryhadtaken.
ArthurMillerwasborninManhattanin1915toJewishimmigrantparents.By1928,thefamilyhad movedtoBrooklyn,aftertheirgarmentmanufacturingbusinessbegantofailWitnessingthe societaldecayoftheDepressionandhisfather'sdesperationduetobusinessfailureshadan...show morecontent
Hisinsightintothepsychologyofdesperationandhisabilitytocreatestoriesthatexpressthe deepestmeaningsofstruggle,havemadehimoneofthemosthighlyregardedandwidelyperformed AmericanplaywrightsInhiseighty–fifthyear,Millerremainsanactiveandimportantpartof Americantheater.
B.BeforeanalysingMiller'sviewoftragedyonemustreconsiderthetraditionalview,originally formulatedbyAristotleandhiscritics,whichMilleradaptedandreinterpreted.Aristoteliantradition inthebroadesttermsdefinedtragedyastheimitationinprescribeddramaticformofaserious, completehumanaction,ofgreatenoughsignificancetobeworthyofrepresentation,whichwill striketheaudiencewithpityandfear,twoemotionsfarremovedfromsentimentaltears.Theheroof suchatragedymustbeneitherperfectlyvirtuousnorcompletelybasebutratheraman,greatyet humanelyfallible,whoispreordainedtosufferbecauseofthefateofhisinwardcharacteranda catastrophicseriesofeventsintheoutwardworld.Also,hemustneverdieignorantofthe circumstancesofhisfall,atsomepoint,usuallyjustbeforehisdeath,hemustundergothepainful processofdiscoveryorrevelationthroughwhichhewillcometounderstandthereasonsforandthe significanceofhisrole(andmaymake'tragicreconciliation"withlife)
AristotlespecifiedthatinTragedy,thecharactersareportrayedasmenfarabovethe
arthurmiller
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WiththeDeathofaSalesmanduringthewinterof1949onBroadway,ArthurMillerbegantolive asaplaywrightwhohassincebeencalledoneofthiscentury'sthreegreatAmericandramatists.He hasalsowrittenotherpowerful,oftenmind–alteringplays:TheCrucible,AViewfromtheBridge, AMemoryofTwoMondays,AftertheFall,IncidentatVichy,andThePrice.Andwhocouldforget thefilmTheMisfitsandthedramaticspecialPlayingforTimeDeathofaSalesmanwasnotArthur Miller'sfirstsuccessonBroadway.Twoyearsbefore,whenAllMySonsopenedattheCoronet Theater,BrooksAtkinsonoftheNewYorkTimeswrote:"Thetheaterhasacquiredagenuine newtalent"TheplayalsowontheNewYorkDramaCriticsCircleshowmorecontent
AfterhisgraduationfromAbrahamLincolnHighSchoolinBrooklyn,youngMillerworkedasa stockclerkinanautomobilepartswarehousefortwoandahalfyearsuntilhehadenoughmoneyto payforhisfirstyearattheUniversityofMichigan.Hefinishedcollegewiththefinancialaidofthe NationalYouthAdministrationsupplementedbyhissalaryasnighteditorontheMichiganDaily newspaperBeforehisgraduationwithaBAdegreein1938,hehadwrittenanumberofplays, winninga$500AveryHopwoodAwardin1936anda$1,200TheaterGuildNationalAwardin 1938foraneffortentitledTheGrassStillGrows.Then,havingreturnedtoNewYorkin1938,he joinedtheFederalTheaterProject.But,beforehisfirstplayhadbeenproduced,theProjectended. Dismayedandsetback,hewenttoworkintheBrooklynNavyYard.Herehewroteradioscriptsthat werelaterheardintheColumbiaWorkshopandontheCalvacadeofAmericaHealsowrotetwo booksduringthisperiod:SituationNormal(1944)andFocus,twonovelsaboutanti–Semitism (1945).Hehadnot,however,givenupplaywriting.InNovemberof1944,hisplay,TheManWho HadAlltheLuckopenedonBroadwayUnfortunatelyitbecamemuchlessofasuccessthanhehad hoped.ItsunfavorablereceptiondisheartenedMiller,andhedecidedhewouldwriteonemoreplay. Ifthatwerenotsuccessful,hewouldgiveup.That'swhenin1947hewroteAllMySons,hisfirst realsuccess,which
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EssayonAuthurMiller
ArthurMillerStruggles
"Inthetheater,whileyourecognizedthatyouwerelookingatahouse,itwasahouseinquotation marks.Onscreen,thequotationmarkstendtobeblottedoutbythecamera.".ArthurMillerwasa personwhowrotemanyplaysandhadhisshareofbeliefs.He'sgonethroughtoughtimes.He startedwritingplaysinthe1940's,aftergraduatingfromtheUniversityofMichigan.Healsobegan believinginwhathewantedtobelieveWhowasArthurMiller?ArthurMillerwasbornonOctober 17,1915,inNewYorkCity.Hisfather'swealthwaslostduringthegreatdepressionandthatcaused ArthurMillertonotbeabletogotocollege.SoArthurMillerdecidedtogetajob,heworkedfor2 yearsandwasabletopayforhisstudiesattheUniversityofMichiganHesoongraduatedfromthe university.Atfirst,hedidn'twanttobeafailure,hedidn'twanttoloseanythinglikehisdaddid duringthegreatdepression.ThankstotheU.S.Government'sFederalTheatreProject,ArthurMiller begantolearnandunderstandaboutthecraftoftheater."Thetheaterissoendlesslyshowmore content...
ArthurMillerwasapersonwhowrotemanyplaysandhadhisshareofbeliefsInmyopinion everybodyhasstrugglesbutweovercomeitlikeArthurMiller.Somestrugglescomewithhard decisionsandharddecisionscomeswithhardconsequences."Maybeallonecandoishopetoend upwiththerightregrets"saidArthurMiller,he'srightaboutthatsomepeopleregretthingsbutina goodway."Youspecializeinsomethinguntilonedayyoufinditisspecializinginyou"saysArthur MillerThatbasicallyshowsmostofhislifeinjustonveryspecificquoteItalsochangesallofus becauseweallfindsomethingthatwearegoodonandwemakeitourpassionjustlikethetheater wasforArthurMiller.WhoknowsmaybeonedayanotherARthurmillerwillbebornwithalove fortheTheaterjustlikethispastArthur
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ArthurMillerEssay
ArthurMillerArthurMiller,inhisplays,dealswiththeinjusticeofsociety'smoralvaluesandthe characterswhoarevulnerabletoitscruelty.Agoodmajorityoftheseplayswereverysuccessful andearnednumerousawards.AccordingtoBrooksAtkinson,acriticfortheNewYorkTimes, Miller'splayDeathofaSalesmanwassuccessfulbecausetheplay"issosimpleinstyleandso inevitableinthemethatitscarcelyseemslikeathingthathasbeenwrittenandactedForMrMiller haslookedwithcompassionintotheheartsofsomeordinaryAmericansandquietlytransferredtheir hopesandanguishtothetheater"(Babusci1261).Thisplay,in1949,receivedthePulitzerPrize,the NewYorkDramaCriticsCircleAward,theshowmorecontent
He"isoneofsociety'svictims,oneofthose"wholandedintheashcan."AsMillerexplainsit, societychewsupWillybecausehehasbroken"thelawwhichsaysafailureinsocietyandin businesshasnorighttolive""(Bloom,ModernCriticalInterpretations:ArthurMiller'sDeathofa Salesman96).InHoward'sofficeWillyrecallsthememoryofwhomheconsideredagreat salesman,DaveSinglemanHewaswelllikedandpopularwithhisbuyers,eventohisdeath Hundredsofsalesmanandbuyerswereathisfuneral.Willywantedtobejustlikethisman,but...all thebuyersheonceknewaredead,andallthenewagebuyerscareaboutisgettingadealoverand donewith.There'snopersonalityinitanymore.Hecan'tpayhisinsurance..."Inbriefglimses,Willy recognizesthatheisavictim.Afterheisfired,hecomplainstoCharley,"Afterallthehighwaysand thetrains,andtheappointments,andtheyears,youendupworthmoredeadthanalive""(Bloom, ModernCriticalInterpretations:ArthurMiller'sDeathofaSalesman96).Andhisbossdoesn'teven care.Duringthesceneinhisofficeheispreoccupiedwithhis"newtoy"awirerecorder.AsWilly's lifefallsapart,
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