1.1.1 Author Flashcards
Who is the author of Death of a Salesman and when were they born?
Arthur Miller & 1915
What kind of family was the author born into?
A middle class Jewish family in Brooklyn, New York city.
What caused his once comfortable family to struggle to cope financially?
The onset of the great depression in the early 1930s which helped shape Miller’s worldview.
What themes do Arthur Miller plays often explore?
The overwhelming economic and political forces which affect the fortunes of ordinary individuals trying, and at times tragically failing to make their way in the world
What came in 1947?
Miller’s first stage success with All My Sons, a drama exploring one family’s turmoil after one of its sons listed as ‘missing in action’ while fighting in WW2
Why was All My Sons such a success for Miller?
The play resonated with American audiences, many of whom had suffered their own wartime losses.
What did Death of a Salesman earn Miller?
The even bigger Broadway hit earned Miller a Pulitzer Prize and national fame.
Why was Death of a Salesman so popular?
It had once again caught the mood of American audiences with the tale of one mans struggles to fulfil his dreams in a rapidly changing society
Millers rise to prominence (2)
- Married the most popular actress at the time, Marilyn Monroe, in 1956
- Success of plays such as The Crucible (1953) and a View from the Bridge (1955) confirmed his reputation as a powerful social commentator.
In what year was Miller called before which powerful house and was accused of being a communist sympathiser?
- 1952
- The house of Un-American Activities
What lead to Millers Punishment in 1952?
Despite the pressure placed upon him after being accused of being a communist sympathiser, he refused to give up the names of his friends to the committee.
What were the results of Miller staying loyal to his friends?
(2)
Millers courage and principles earned him
- international respect
- he became an outspoken defender of freedom for his fellow writers across the world
When and where did Miller die?
2005 in his home in Connecticut
What year was Death of a Salesman published?
10th February 1949
