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Perspectives on America's greatest living playwright that explore his longstanding commitment to forging a uniquely American theater Arthur Miller's America collects new writing by leading international critics and scholars that considers the dramatic world of icon, activist, and playwright Arthur Miller's theater as it reflects the changing moral equations of his time. Written on the occasion of Miller's 85th year, the original essays and interviews in Arthur Miller's America treat the breadth of Miller's work, including his early political writings for the campus newspaper at the University of Michigan, his famous work with John Huston, Clark Gable and Marilyn Monroe on The Misfits, and his signature plays like Death of a Salesman and All My Sons.

This study uncovers untapped symbolic layers in some of Miller's best-known plays by linking them to famed media events or social concerns corresponding to each play's initial production. This book broadens the scholarship on Arthur Miller by applying cultural semiotics, cultural anthropology and new historicism to the reception of Miller's major plays. Chapters on All My Sons, Death of a Salesman, The Crucible, and Incident at Vichy alter the significations of the plays by connecting the works to parallel contemporary events that inform the way these plays may have resonated with their original audiences. This book offers one of the first major reassessments of the plays of Arthur Miller after his death, and the first book in general to apply a significant semiotic study to his work.

This critical introduction to Arthur Miller provides an indispensable aid for students and general readers to understand the depth and complexity of some of America's most important dramatic works. Beginning with a discussion of his life, this work traces not only Miller's theatrical career, but his formulative experiences with the Great Depression, the Holocaust, and the House Un-American Activities Committee. Detailed discussions of eight important plays are organized around the social and moral themes Miller derived from such events; these themes are evident in such works as "Death of A Salesman, The Crucible, A View from the Bridge, " and "All My Sons." By placing Miller, within the context of his times, this discussion reveals how he was influenced by and reacted to the major events in his own life and in American culture. Analysis of his more recent works such as "The American Clock, Broken Glass" and "The Ride Down Mt. Morgan" illustrate the consistency of Miller's strong moral vision, and his continuing innovative contributions to American theatre. A fascinating biographical chapter takes readers from Miller's childhood, through the Depression years, through three marriages; and from his theatrical apprenticeship, to eventual fame and critical acclaim for his plays and other literary and cinematic projects. The literary heritage chapter outlines Miller's literary and dramatic precursors, and considers the major aspects of his dramatic impact. The six chapters discussing his major plays are systematically presented to allow the reader to easily grasp the intricacies of their plots, characterizations, stylistic devices, and themes. In addition, each chapter offers a view of the social and/or historical context that influenced the plays' thematic development, as well as an alternate critical reading that demonstrates the richness of Miller's work. Lastly, the bibliography provides information on Miller's published works, including his screenplays and essays, biographical information, selected general criticism, and both contemporary reviews and critical studies of the plays discussed.