Arthur Miller Biography
Arthur Miller defined American theater in the 1950s with seminal plays such as Death of a Salesman and The Crucible. But he was not simply a literary phenomenon. He became a pop-culture sensation when he married Marilyn Monroe in 1956. On the whole, his works are about an individual’s struggle with an oftentimes indifferent, harsh, or irrational society—something he learned about firsthand when he stood against Senator Eugene McCarthy’s House Committee on Un-American Activities. Before his death in 1996, Miller had also written screenplays, novels, short stories, nonfiction, and an autobiography. He based his works on his family, his friends, and his own life, and he filled them with the rage, the love, and the self-doubt that Miller himself felt.
Facts and Trivia
- Miller got the idea for Death of a Salesman from his uncle Manny, who was a salesman. Manny came to the opening of Miller’s earlier play All My Sons and bragged about his two unfortunate sons. Salesman opened at the Morosco Theatre on February 10, 1949, and closed 742 performances later on November 18, 1950.
- Due to an old football injury, Miller was ineligible for military service during World War II, so he wrote patriotic plays for the radio. He also volunteered to repair military boats in New York harbor.
- Miller’s honors include the Pulitzer Prize, seven Tony Awards, two Drama Critics Circle Awards, an Obie, an Olivier, the John F. Kennedy Lifetime Achievement Award, and honorary doctorate degrees from Oxford University and Harvard University.
- Miller was investigated by the House Committee on Un-American Activities in 1956, the same year he married Marilyn Monroe. He refused to give up the names of any people he thought might be Communists and was cited for contempt of Congress. The Supreme Court reversed this ruling in 1958.
- Miller’s most fateful personal decision was to marry Marilyn Monroe. The tabloids called it a marriage between “the Owl and the Pussycat,” the union of intellect and beauty. Labeled as Miller’s femme fatale, Monroe helped destroy his reputation and was the only person he ever allowed to keep him from writing.
Biography
Arthur Miller, born in Manhattan on October 17, 1915, became a towering figure in American theater. His experiences, from growing up during the Great Depression to witnessing the personal failures of those around him, informed his critically acclaimed writing. Through works like Death of a Salesman and The Crucible, Miller explored themes of social injustice and the human condition, leaving a lasting impact on the world of drama.
Early Life and Influences
Arthur Miller entered the world in New York City, where his Jewish immigrant parents sought the American dream. His father, Isadore, once thrived in the garment industry, while his mother, Augusta, contributed as a schoolteacher. However, the family's fortunes took a dramatic turn in 1928 when Isadore's business collapsed, forcing them to relocate to Brooklyn. This shift deeply affected young Miller, who witnessed firsthand the fall from prosperity to financial struggle. These early experiences contributed to the creation of characters like Willy Loman, who embodies the failure of the American dream.
Education and Early Career
After high school, Miller worked for two years, saving money to fund his college education. In 1934, he enrolled at the University of Michigan, where his passion for writing and social justice flourished. Under the guidance of Kenneth Rowe, he honed his playwriting skills and twice received the prestigious Avery Hopwood Award. By the time of his graduation in 1938, he had already gained recognition with the Theater Guild National Award for his play They Too Arise. This play, like much of his early work, centered on young protagonists battling against social inequity. Following graduation, Miller returned to New York and embarked on a career in playwriting, including a stint writing radio scripts for programs like The Cavalcade of America and The Columbia Workshop.
Challenges and Breakthroughs
During World War II, Miller aimed to capture the gritty reality of the average soldier through a screenplay for The Story of GI Joe. However, studio executives favored a more romanticized narrative, leaving Miller's vision unrealized. Undeterred, he continued to pursue realistic drama, although his initial Broadway venture, The Man Who Had All the Luck, flopped in 1944. Redemption came three years later with the success of All My Sons, cementing his reputation. In 1949, Death of a Salesman debuted, quickly establishing Miller as a formidable presence in American theater.
Continued Success and Personal Struggles
Arthur Miller's subsequent works reflected his enduring concern with societal issues, with The Crucible in 1953 further enhancing his stature. Yet, the mid-1950s ushered in a period of personal upheaval, as his marriage to Marilyn Monroe thrust him into the public eye. This high-profile relationship threatened to overshadow his professional achievements. However, after their divorce and a pause in his career, Miller returned to playwriting. He continued to innovate and explore new dramatic forms through the 1970s and 1980s, never content to rest on his laurels.
Legacy and Later Works
Miller's relentless drive to push boundaries persisted well into his later years. In 1996, he adapted The Crucible into a film featuring Daniel Day-Lewis and Winona Ryder. At eighty-one, his commitment to storytelling and social commentary remained undiminished. Arthur Miller's legacy endures as one of America's most influential playwrights, whose works continue to resonate with themes of human struggle and societal critique. His plays remain a testament to his ability to capture the complexities of the human spirit and the flaws of the world around us.
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