How Did Arthur Miller Influence American History

Arthur Miller was an American Playwright who wrote some of the most influential pieces of literature in American History. He was an influence to many other authors. He was very dedicated to his work, and would not give up no matter how difficult the situation. Arthur Miller was easily one of the best authors in American history. The early life of Arthur Miller was a struggle, just as it was for many other Americans living during the Great Depression. Arthur Miller was born on October 17, 1915 in New York City. He was the son of Jewish-American parents Isidore and Augusta Miller (Famousauthors.org). The Great Depression hit the Miller family hard in 1929, and as a result the family's garmet manufacturing service began to fail. The family was
then forced to move moved to Brooklyn (PBS.org). The family lived a life of poverty, a life that Arthur would use for his influencial writing. His personal experience of social decay and hardship would show with his future writings. Since his family was so poor, Arthur was not able to attend college after high school. According to Famousauthors.org, he worked in an automobile parts warehouse until he was able to accumilate enough money to afford college. Arthur attendended the University of Michigan for four years and fit in comfortably. Miller graduated after four years and majored in Journalism, starting his rocky road to success. After graduation, Miller joined the Federal Theater Project and moved to New York (NewWorldEncylcopedia.org).
It was there where Arthur worked on his first major play The Man Who Had it All. It opened up to the public in 1944, but recieved horrible reviews (PBS). In fact, according to NewWorldEncyclopedia.org, the play only ran for four performances before it was removed! Arthur was determined to be a success though. He started writing a new play, and made sure this play would appeal to America. He released his first Broadway play, All My Sons (PBS.org). It was an instant hit with the people, and was performed numerous times on Broadway. Miller had released his first masterpiece. Though one piece of literature that influences the world is a feat many cannot achieve, a good author does not only release one piece of literature that changes the world, and Arthur was determined to be a great author. Two years after he released All My Sons, he came out with one of the most influencial plays in American History. This play was named Death Of a Salesman (NewWorld Enyclopedia.org). Death Of a Salesman had similar characteristics that can be associated with Miller's early life. The play is about a buisnessman who has gone under after economic hardship occurs and how he is attempting to reconstruct his life (PBS.org). It is closely related to the situation that the Miller family had endured during the Great Depression. Death Of a Salesman was very popular with the people. PBS.org
states that the play was so popular, that it ran on for over 700 performances! It was such an astounding play, that it received the Pulitzer Prize. That wasn't enough for Miller though. He needed something more. The Second Red Scare was the inspiration Miller needed for his next piece of history, The Crucible. The Second Red Scare was one of Americas lowest times for tolerance. People of various races, ethnicities, and religion were being prosecuted for being a communist. There was usually little to no evidence of these convictions, and America had begun to spiral into mass hysteria. Arthur, tired of the post-war intolerance in America, ridiculed the people making accusations of communism and wrote The Crucible. The Crucible takes place during the Saleem Witch Trials, and uses actual people and facts (along with some twists Miller put into the book) as a metaphor for the Second Red Scare (PBS.org). This book was another classic to be made for the American people. It also won the Pulitzer Prize (NewWorldEncyclopedia.org). Although his career as an author was successful, his outside love life was a struggle.
Arthur went through multiple marriages and divorces. His first of three marriages was with Grace Slattery in 1940. After being caught in an affair, the two divorced in 1956. Arthur's second marriage was with Marilyn Monroe. Marilyn was an icon to the American people, and so was Miller. They married in 1956, but divorced five years later in 1961. Just a year later, in 1962, Arthur Miller married Ingeburg Morath, and remained married for the remainder of his life (Famousauthors.org). According to PBS.org, Arthur wrote more short storys and plays for some of the 1970's and up, but none of which where as inspring and eye-opening as his previous pieces of literature. Arthur Miller died February, 10, 2005, and with him a passion for writing that would influence many future American
writers. Arthur Miller was a man determined to become recognized in American history. He brought himself out economic hardship to recieve a proper education and learn the ways of literature. He wrote two of perhaps the most important writings in the history of English. Arthur can easily be compared to a more modern day Shakespeare! A feat in which many authors can be compared to. With pieces such as Death Of a Salesman and The Crucible, Miller swept America away. Arthur Miller wrote for America, and was easily one of the best authors in American history.