Arthur Miller
Arthur Miller was born October 17, 1915. He attended the University of Michigan. He then moved to New York and began writing plays about the war. His play titled the Death of a Salesman in 1947 became very popular. It tells the story of a man who is destroyed by false values that are alive in society. This play is done throughout the United States to this day. He won a Pulitzer Prize and three Tony Awards for this play. He is known as one of the most famous playwrights in American History.
While being famous for his plays, Miller was blacklisted from Hollywood because of his political views. He was accused of being a Communist and was watched by the FBI. He refused to testify in front of the House of Un-American Activities Committee to name names of those writers who were Communists. This did not stop his plays from being in demand. This blacklisting lead to his next play, Crucible, in 1953. It was about the Salem Witch Trials. It is said he drew from his own experiences of exclusion when writing it.
Arthur Miller gained further fame when he married actress Marilyn Monroe. There were married from 1956 to 1960. That was his second marriage. His first marriage lasted for 16 years, the marriage to Monroe 4 years, and his third for 40 years. His third wife died in 2002.
The legacy of Arthur Miller’s work continues in books, plays, and the big screen. His writings dealing with values and morality are timeless. He appeals to the conscious of individuals regardless of their race or economic status. He once said the object of his work is to discover the ultimate judgment that awaits us all. In addition to his many writings, he was devoted to human rights. He spent a great deal of time and money promoting equality. Miller died in 2005 of congestive heart failure. He was under hospice care in his home. He had been battling cancer, heart disease, and pneumonia. He was 89 years old.
