Arthur Miller, a playwright known for his works relating to societal problems, was shaped by the poverty that surrounded him and his experiences throughout The Great Depression. Arthur Miller was born in Manhattan on
October 17, 1915 to wealthy parents; however, seeing as most of their money was invested in stocks, they lost most of everything in the stock market crash. Miller and his family ended up moving to Brooklyn soon after. In 1932 and after Miller's graduation from high school, he began working in a warehouse to save money to attend college. After a few short weeks, he quits attending New York City College night classes, unable to keep up with both school and work. Two years later, Miller enrolls at University of Michigan (after being denied twice). During that time, he works as a reporter and night editor for the university newspaper, the
Michigan Daily - kick-starting his career in writing.
1936, Arthur Miller wins the Hopwood award for his play
No Villain in which he uses his prize money to help for his tuition for college. Miller also wins the same honor for his play
Honors at Dawn and receives second place recognition for
The Great Disobedience. After graduating from college, Arthur ends up needing and accepting federal assistance - once again, he faces poverty.
Unable to find any producers interested in his plays and needing to support his first wife and himself, Miller begins working as a ship fitter's helper in the Brooklyn Navy Yard, choosing to work nights in order to write during the daytime. Finally having some luck, he finds a job as a screen writer and quits his job at the navy yard, but due to lack of recognition by his employers, Miller quits this position as well. Things seemed to be turning around for Miller; his play
The Man Who Had All the Luck opens on Broadway and receives the Theater Guild National Award. However, unpopular with the public, the play bombs and closes after only four performances. Miller almost considered quitting writing.
In 1947, Arthur's play
All My Sons, which is based on a true story, becomes an instant hit. The play wins two Tony Awards, The New York Drama Critics' Circle Award, and is rated one of the ten best plays of that year. Only two short years later,
Death of A Salesman takes center stage, bringing Miller even more success and winning him The Pulitzer Prize, another New York Drama Critics' Circle Award, and a Tony.
Outside of writing, Miller often attended communist parties although he was never an actual member. This association lead Miller to being called before the House Committee on Un-American Activities to testify. Committee chairman Francis Walters privately offers to let Miller off if he agrees to have Marilyn Monroe, his second wife, pose with him for a campaign poster, but Miller denies the offer. After being questioned about his involvement with the community part, a judge finds Miller guilty of contempt of Congress for refusing to name
other alleged communists during his 1956 HUAC testimony. However, after an appeals trial, a judge overturns Miller's contempt conviction.
Most of Arthur Millers plays afterwards always touched based on some type of social or political issue such as the Holocaust, or
The Ride Down Mt. Morgan, which was a political play about the Reagan years. Miller even wrote The Price, a play about two brothers dealing with the death of their father, which has been said to have been inspired by the death of his own father only two years prior to the premier of the play.
It's safe to say that Arthur Miller is definitely a product of his experiences. He, himself, has faced poverty and witnessed it first hand during the great depression. Life wasn't a walk in the park for young Miller, he faced great adversity and that led him down a path to write about such important topics, you can witness this in his plays.
