How does Arthur Miller make the disintegration of the Keller family compelling for the audience?
The disintegration of the Keller family is clearly apparent from the beginning of the performance with all the lies and fabrication between Keller, Chris and Mother and all the secrets they are hiding from one another. The spuriousness of mother also plays a key role in the putrefaction of the Keller family and the quixotic views of Chris and his opinion of himself being morally pure, but he turns out to have a murderer for a father. Miller’s criticism of the stereotypical American family being materialistic and willing to do anything to make them money, even in Joe Keller’s situation with jeopardising his own son’s life by making malfunctioning aeroplane parts, which implies to the audience that Miller heavily criticises the American Dream, and how it makes humanity corrupt and very greedy
Guilt and clandestine behaviour are major elements in the disintegration of the Keller family. Secrecy is defined in the opening stage directions with the Kellers house. The house is exemplified as having a; “secluded atmosphere”. The adjective; “secluded” suggests that the Kellers don’t want prying eyes and unwanted questions which suggests that they are cloaking a dark secret that they do not want to be divulged. Keller is shown to have little feeling of contrition, however he shows some remorse when he says he has; “never been ill” which suggests to the audience that he is guilty and he was not actually; “ill” when the faulty parts were shipped. Furthermore, towards the end of the play Keller begins to show how remorseful he feels, this is delineated when Chris turns against him and Keller starts “pleading” with him. The noun; “pleading” shows a...
... middle of paper ...
...ore pain. Mother acts blinkered to the truth when Jim tried to draw the truth from her. Mother acts as being unaware and asks; “tell him what?” which to stop the truth getting out and ruining their reputation. When Jim says; “it takes a certain talent… for lying” which suggests to the audience that Mother is corrupt, which also implies Miller believes America to be corrupt.
In conclusion Arthur Miller makes the disintegration of the Keller family very dramatic and compelling for the audience, through the portrayed feelings of sorrow for Keller because he was trying to do what was best for his family. However, by the end of the play his family who he sought to protect eventually turned against him, driving him to suicide. Miller makes us feel least sorrowful for Mother because we blame her as she was very manipulative and emotionless when Keller committed suicide.
The Millers appear to be permissive parents; therefore, the Millers seem to support Kevin in his behavior and his maladaptive ways of coping. Permissive parents are high on warm; subsequently, they are low in setting demands, rules, and guidelines. Kevin is obliviously gifted and talented, and
Arthur Miller’s political allegory of McCarthyism, in the form of The Crucible, has been adapted into a faithful companion to the play that is able to incorporate the emotions and atmosphere that may not have been available to some in the play. Miller’s screenplay is very faithful to the book, having many of the same lines and situations the character in the play experience. Because of this, we are able to make an active connection to the play, thus expanding our understanding of the play. Lead by Daniel Day-Lewis, The Crucible’s plot is portrayed by a solid cast, who, for the most part, are able to engross the viewer into the story. The film contains many captivating scenes that exemplify hysteria meant to be depicted in the play, that demands the viewers attention while also immersing them in emotions. The film adaptation of The Crucible is a well produced version of the play that not only serves as a companion to the play, but an entertaining and though provoking experience.
Life as a human is dictated by an inborn hunger or purpose, and people, in general, will act on this hunger for their own personal gain in their individual ways. This hunger, be it for wealth, land, love, power, revenge, or pride, can, and will be the undoing or failing of all mankind as Miller so clearly points out in his play 'The Crucible';. This essay will explore the motives of characters within the play and even the motives of Arthur Miller himself and therefore show how conflict stems from certain recognisable human failings including those mentioned above, fear, and hysteria.
Within Death of a Salesman, there are many themes, motifs and symbolism shown to help readers and audiences alike understand the writing. Arthur Miller implemented these developmental characteristics through showing the theme of success and failure, features of a tragic hero and the germination within characters. Through Millers writing, it is shown that the American Dream does not always end in a happy
The Crucible is a story of when the town of Salem, Massachusetts became dominated by hysteria and foolishness during the infamous Salem Witch Trials of 1692. Influenced by the McCarthy Era, when many people (including Miller himself) were accused of being communists, Arthur Miller accurately depicts the widespread insanity of the accusations and the trials themselves in his play by using stylistic elements such as stage directions; imitative, period dialect; and allusions. Miller starts each of his acts with a narration in parenthesis and in italics. First he gives the general setting of the scene. Next, in a new paragraph, (still in parenthesis and italics) he gives more specific details about the environment. Lastly, also in a new paragraph,
Nine critical approaches are utilized when analyzing a piece of literature in order to appeal to a variety of critics. Arthur Miller’s play The Crucible can be interpreted from numerous approaches, but one lens that is unmistakable throughout is the psychological criticism. From a psychological standpoint, one gains access to the mindset of both the author and the characters within. In addition to this, the reader also acquires a greater understanding of the motivations, behaviors, and mental state that each character possesses. Through psychological criticism, one can obtain information on a character’s motivation, the likelihood of their actions, and which behaviors are consciously made.
regards to his play, The Crucible. His audience is evident in the text as he states, "The Crucible was an act of desperation" (Miller). Miller answers the question many readers possess, why write a play like The Crucible at all? His reasons include desperation to show the fear and terror individuals lived in at the times the play takes place and the time the allusion to the play's story takes place. This answer to one of the many questions readers possess shows Miller's intention to answer some of the more pressing questions that left readers curious or baffled. Miller's article explains his intentions
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 conclusion, the theme on how hysteria can occur and corrupt the entire community is displayed in The Crucible. Miller depicts how people can become hysterical over nonsensical things and that hysteria can ruin many people's lives. The reader should understand this theme to be aware of how much we can get swept up in hysteria. Without this hysteria a teenage girl had no power until she cried out witchcraft, a man was not able to act on his revenge until accusing someone else. Fear caused the townsfolk to believe the crazy accusations that someone could actually be a witch. All they were hearing was lie after lie. It’s sad how they actually could believe them. Make you think twice when you hear of a rumor, doesn’t
This whole play by Arthur Miller shows how our community will turn on each other to save ourselves no matter if it’s right or wrong and it’s true in our society today. It also shows how a good man regained his happiness and holiness by standing up for what’s right against the lies and sacrificed himself for the truth.
Arthur Miller writes about the tragic results of human failings in his play, The Crucible. He presents characters from the past and infuses them with renewed vitality and color. Miller demonstrates the horrifying results of succumbing to personal motives and flaws as he writes the painful story of the Salem witch trials. Not only do the trials stem from human failings but also from neglect of moral and religious considerations of that time. Characters begin to overlook Puritan values of thrift and hope for salvation. Focusing on the flawed characters, they begin to exhibit land lust, envy of the miserable and self-preservation.
...ter his internal switch flips and he stops believing everything he hears. Miller used Hale and the rest of the court- important religious and political figures- as a symbol of ignorance residing not only in the lower parts of a community but also in those who run it.
"The Crucible" is considered by many Miller’s masterpiece, it both displays his dramatic and theatrical qualities in such a way as to make it disturbing and socially relevant. In it one can find his views on society as a whole and on current events such as Mccarthyism which similarily to the medieval Church and justice system searched for individuals who by their ideals and ideas they felt threatened the supremacy of their system. Miller made "The Crucible" the starting point for the audience to reflect on their own society and culture. But at the same time Miller polished his deep philosophical work with superb stage directions, likeable characters and nerve-racking suspense.
Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman is a story about the dark side of the "American Dream". Willy Loman's obsession with the dream directly causes his failure in life, which, in turn, leads to his eventual suicide. The pursuit of the dream also destroys the lives of Willy's family, as well. Through the Lomans, Arthur Miller attempts to create a typical American family of the time, and, in doing so, the reader can relate to the crises that the family is faced with and realize that everyone has problems.
For example Miller’s play “Death of A Salesman” shows a father-son relationship, where in certain times Willy, the father wants to become more of a player in his son’s life that his son believes is necessary. There are several reasons for this and can be demonstrated in different ways. Miller is able to give an example of his behavior through the