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Miller's Life
Miller's Life
Arthur Miller was often known for his playwrights that focused on social awareness and depth on character’s inner lives. He was born on October 17, 1915, in New York, to an immigrant family. Miller was originally born into a wealthy family. However, this wealth did not last as his father’s business seriously suffered during the great depression leading to financial ruin for the family. This financial change caused the family to move to brooklyn new york and continue their life there (Centola). While growing up Miller had worked many jobs such as a truck driver and a clerk in an automobile parts warehouse. At this location he was the only Jewish worker and unfortunately was forced to face his first real accounts of antisemitism (Centola).
Despite his work conditions, Miller continued to work after high school in order to afford tuition for university. With the money he had saved up he enrolled in the University of Michigan. At this school is where Miller’s love for writing began. He started writing for the student paper and even wrote his first play ever, No Villain (Biblogrpahy.com). With this play he received the Hopwood Award in Drama. His successes and interest in writing convinced him to transfer into an English major (Centola). One professor, Kenneth Rowe, had a significant impact on Miller's life and was the one to truly convince him to become a playwright (bibliography.com).
Starting off his career, Miller wrote The Man who had all the luck with high hopes. Unfortunately, after only 4 shows the play was closed due to too many negative reviews (Biblography.com). His first real successes did not come until he wrote Focus, a novel based on the struggle of anti-semitsm, and then, All My Sons, a drama about a war supply manufacturer which ended up being his first real important play. This play came to win him his first of many tony awards (Britannica). However, the success did not end after All My Sons. Following this big win, Miller wrote The Death of a Salesman, which is a play revolving around a man facing tragedy after following false values that reflect those of society. This big play ends up winning him his second Tony Award and a Pulitzer Prize for Drama (Britannica).
Miller had 3 wives in his lifetime. His first wife was Mary Slattery who he met and fell in love with in college. The two had two children together, Jane Ellen Miller, and Robert Miller. Miller and his first wife divorced in 1956. Less than a month after the divorce, Miller married famous Hollywood actor, Marilyn Monroe. Marrying such a high-profile person placed Miller in the spotlight. The two were married for 5 years, but the marriage was very rocky, with Monroe's struggle with drug addiction. During Miller’s marriage with Monroe his writing was slowed. During the marriage he only wrote one play, which was specifically in honor of his wife; the two did get divorced during the release Bibliography.com). After their divorce Miller wrote After the fall, which was arguably his most controversial drama and was speculated to be about his relationship with Monroe. Miller married his final wife, Inge Morath, 2 years before the release of After the Fall. Morath was an Australian photographer. The couple had two children together, Rebecca Miller and Daniel Miller. Daniel was born with down-syndrome and it was Arthur Miller who insisted that Daniel be institutionalized and not a part of their public family (Bibliography.com).
In the late 1950’s, Miller was subpoenaed and was convicted of contempt of Congress for his refusal to identify writers accused of holding “Communist sympathies”. However, the next year the overturning of the conviction was appealed by the United States Court of Appeals (National Endowment for Humanities). Many speculated that these accusations stemmed from the writing of one of his most famous pieces, The Crucible, a play about the Salem witch trials. The play had included possible hints of McCarthyism and could have pushed the accusations towards Miller. The play, while not being as famous as Death of a Salesman, did win him another Tony award and was adapted many times for television (Britannica).
During MIller’s life he continued to remain incredibly socially engaged and wrote with as much passion as possible. Miller had even said he thought theater could “change the world” (National Endowment for Humanities). Miller's 3rd wife died in 2002. Arthur Miller did not take long to become engaged to Agnes Barely, who he was never able to walk down the aisle with. Miller died on February 10, 2005 due to heart failure. Miller always made sure to write his plays with a sense of responsibility to his audience and to humanity (National Endowment for Humanities). His ideals and plays were influential for theater and also for many people today.
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