As American began to 'grow up,' several aspects of American life also underwent change. Some of the change was sociological, such as America's evolution from an agrarian society to an urban society; some of the change was technological, such as the development of almost instantaneous communication, and the ability to broadcast news and ideas to the entire population simultaneously; some of the change was political, evidenced by American involvement in two World Wars. As these important sociological, technological, and political changes in two World Wars raced through American life, writers kept up by creating important new works of fiction and drama, all of which reflected America's changing identity. Although these writers emerged from all parts of the country, each of them offered a unique view of what was then contemporary American life. Together they created a literary movement. Arthur Miller's contribution to American Literature is agreed upon by essayists such as Stephen A. Marino, Jeffrey Helterman, Neil Carson, and Anne Crow, all of whom explore his essential works for the way he incorporates the different elements of American Modernism in his writing.
First of all, reflecting the ongoing shifts in Europe during the 20th century, the Modernist movement had permeated the United States and influenced the works of American writers. Modernism is characterized as a conscious departure from classic structures and themes and a pursuit for an indubitably new manner of interpretation. The movement had risen to crescendo during the 1880s to the 1950s, culminating from the transformative effects of both World Wars. As people around the world witnessed their respective countries being launched into chaos, they began to que...
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Crow, Anne. "'Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” Anne Crow investigates Arthur Miller's exploration of the American Dream in his play All my Sons.'" The English Review. 18.1 (2007): 24 +. Literature Resource Center. Web. 2 May 2014.
Helterman, Jeffrey. "Arthur Miller." Twentieth Century American Dramatists. Ed. John MacNicholas. Detroit: Gale Research, 1981. Dictionary of Literary Biography Vol. 7. Literature Resource Center. Web. 2 May 2014.
Marino, Stephen A. "Arthur Miller." Twentieth-Century American Dramatists: Fourth Series. Ed. Christopher J. Wheatley. Detroit: Gale, 2003. Dictionary of Literary Biography Vol. 266. Literature Resource Center. Web. 1 May 2014.
Miller, Arthur. "All My Sons."
Miller Arthur. "A View from the Bridge."
Miller, Arthur. "Death of a Salesman."
Miller, Arthur. "The Man Who Had All the Luck."
Authors often have underlying reasons for giving their stories certain themes or settings. Arthur Miller’s masterpiece, The Crucible, is a work of art inspired by actual events as a response to political and moral issues. Set in Salem, Massachusetts in 1692, The Crucible proves to have its roots in events of the 1950’s and 1960’s, such as the activities of the House Un-American Committee and the “Red Scare.” Though the play provides an accurate account of the Salem witch trials, its real achievement lies in the many important issues of Miller’s time that it dealswith.
In 1953, Arthur Miller wrote his famous play The Crucible, in response to a fear of Communism that had developed in the United States during that decade. The "Red Scare", as it was later called by historians was led by Senator Joseph McCarthy, whose paranoia of a communist takeover spread through the nation like a wildfire. Men and women alike fell victim to McCarthy's pointed finger and as a result of this hysteria, were mostly deported from the country, their careers and lives ruined.
The Modernist Fiction period took place during the 1920’s and revolutionized the American way of life in literature, economically, and socially. There was a national vision of upward mobility during this time that represented the American Dream. The upward mobility was seen through the consumerism and materialism that dominated this decade economically. Popular novels of this time reflected the mass consumerism in the lives of those wrote them. During the American Modernist Fiction period, Americans became increasingly materialistic throughout the roaring twenties; therefore, the American Dream was to obtain upper class status through the possession of material goods, which was reflected in many of this period’s works.
Writers may use literature as a vehicle of social criticism. In which ways does Arthur Miller criticize society?
The modernist style of writing is one of disillusionment, frustration and loss of hope. The modernist writers did not try to point out silver linings or brighter futures, instead they explored the depths of the sorrows of life in the time of the great depression and the long road to recovery from it. Most of these writers blamed the modernization of America for the stock market crash that brought on the great depression. Likewise, modern politics drew America into not only one, but two world wars. At the same time, modern intellectual advancements challenged or usurped traditional beliefs and values.
“Figure it out. Work a lifetime to pay for a house. You finally own it, and there’s no one to live in it.” This line was from the 1949 play Death of a Salesman. In his early years Miller wrote plays, but none of them were produced. Death of a Salesman was not his first success, but was still widely admired. He grew to become one of the century’s greatest American dramatists. However this title was not easily achieved. After growing up in Harlem and working the Brooklyn Navy Yard to becoming a Pulitzer Prize winner, Arthur Miller is held with high respect. Miller had a lifelong dream. That dream was to become a famous playwright. With a lot of hard times and struggles, he reached his goal.
Few people are willing to stand up to the overwhelming power of authority, especially during a time like the Red scare. Hardly any authors are able to recognize meaningful similarities between the present times and an event that happened many years ago—and write about it effectively. Only one has had the courage and intelligence to do both. Arthur Miller was an American author who wrote plays, essays, and stories and has published works dating from to 1936 through 2004. The Crucible, one of his most famous plays, premiered in New York on January 22, 1953 (InfoTrac). It is a historical-fiction story set in Salem, Massachusetts in 1692. The witch hunt described in this play is similar to the Red Scare, an anti-communist movement led by Senator Joseph McCarthy that lasted from the late 1940s to the late 1950s (Broudin). During both time periods, most people respected high authority while a few dissenters challenged conformist views. The public was censored in what they could say because of the fear of being accused of witchcraft or communism. The hysteria of the times triggered a mob-mentality to emerge among the citizens, which influenced nearly everyone to join the terrible movements. Miller presents all of these ideas in The Crucible using his own experiences as influences. He incorporated many of his own traits into the characters’ dispositions. He also described many situations in the play that were similar to the ones he was in, including how he was censored by the Red Scare. Many people will often conform while only a few will challenge authority, will use censorship to prevent others from expressing their views, and are easily affected by hysteria; these characteristics influenced Miller’s life and are reflected by him in Th...
In the beginning of the twentieth century, literature changed and focused on breaking away from the typical and predicate patterns of normal literature. Poets at this time took full advantage and stretched the idea of the mind’s conscience on how the world, mind, and language interact and contradict. Many authors, such as Fitzgerald, Steinbeck, and Twain, used the pain and anguish in first hand experiences to create and depict a new type of literature, modernism. In this time era, literature and art became a larger part of society and impacted more American lives than ever before. During the American modernism period of literature, authors, artists, and poets strived to create pieces of literature and art that challenged American traditions and tried to reinvent it, used new ways of communication, such as the telephone and cinema, to demonstrate the new modern social norms, and express the pain and suffering of the First World War.
Modernism can be defined through the literary works of early independent 20th century writers. Modernism is exp...
on him, but the boys aren't willing to help Willy out when he needs them.
One attribute of Modernist writing is Experimentation. This called for using new techniques and disregarding the old. Previous writing was often even considered "stereotyped and inadequate" (Holcombe and Torres). Modern writers thrived on originality and honesty to themselves and their tenets. They wrote of things that had never been advanced before and their subjects were far from those of the past eras. It could be observed that the Modernist writing completely contradicted its predecessors. The past was rejected with vigor and...
Modernism is a philosophical movement that was popular from the late 19th century to the early 20th century, due to increasing industrialization and globalization, followed by World War I. Authors of this predominantly English genre of writing felt that traditional forms of literature were becoming outdated in the emerging industrialized world. The modernist literary movement was driven by the desire to overturn traditional modes of representation and express the new sensibilities of the time.
In the 1950s, authors tended to follow common themes, these themes were summed up in an art called postmodernism. Postmodernism took place after the Cold War, themes changed drastically, and boundaries were broken down. Postmodern authors defined themselves by “avoiding traditional closure of themes or situations” (Postmodernism). Postmodernism tends to play with the mind, and give a new meaning to things, “Postmodern art often makes it a point of demonstrating in an obvious way the instability of meaning (Clayton)”. What makes postmodernism most unique is its unpredictable nature and “think o...
History, current events, and social events have really influenced American Literature. Authors have been influenced by the world around them and that has reflected in their works. This can be seen throughout the many eras studied in this class. It can also be seen in all types of literature such as playwrights, fiction, non-fiction, and poems. It can also be seen in all of the different writing styles such as, realism, modernism, and post modernism. It is important that American Literature has been influenced this way because Authors have shown us their personal views and insight to situations one would not get out of a history textbook.
The literature of the twentieth century has witnessed a regular development of new genres and new ideas to be reflected in the works. The approach to the creative depiction of crucial social problems that was developed in this period shows a range of new topics as well as new motives to be covered by the writers. Modernist literature does not only offer new literature in terms of forms but also in terms of its meanings. The modernist writers challenge the view of the world that has been for so long cultivated in the literature. Instead of romanticism or realism, the modern literature is filled with abstractions and hidden meanings, with irony and even sarcastic depiction of the society in general and every individual in particular. The modernist