BY ARTHUR MILLER All My Sons

All My Sons Historical Context AMS was published in 1947 The Great Depression began in the final months of 1929 and continued for over a decade World War II:  Germany invades Poland on Sept. 1, 1939 beginning the war  The Holocaust begins in 1939  Germany invades France, Belgium, Holland, Luxembourg, Norway, and Denmark U.S. military is underfunded; Roosevelt directs military and industry to begin mobilizing for war Registration for the military draft becomes mandatory in the U.S Roosevelts calls for the manufacture of 50,000 new aircrafts per year

1930s and 1940s- selected facts Hitler and Mussolini establish the Berlin Rome Axis, a fascist political and military alliance Jesse Owens wins four gold medals at the Berlin Olympic Games Walt Disney produces Snow White 1944-D-Day (Allied forces land at Normandy beach) U.S. drops atomic bombs on Japan

1947: U.S. Jackie Robinson, first black player in the major leagues, plays for the Brooklyn Dodgers President Truman signs that Truman Doctrine to combat Communism Roswell, New Mexico- supposed UFO crash U.S. Air Force is made a separate branch of the military. Hilary Clinton, Mitt Romney, and O.J. Simpson were all born this year

1947: Around the world India gains independence from Great Britain U.S. and U.S.S.R. emerge as superpowers after WWII and the tension that begins between the two will be called the Cold War Soviet- dominated governments are set up in Hungary, Poland, Bulgaria, Romania

A SHORT INTRODUCTION TO HIS LIFE AND WORK Arthur Miller b d (age of 89)

Personal Information Born to Jewish immigrant parents enrolled in the University of Michigan where he studied writing and worked on a number of plays Moved to New York after graduating and worked as a freelance writer Had a short marriage to actress Marilyn Monroe Had two children with his first wife Information from

Playwright Social commentator

Miller and wife Marilyn Monroe

Miller’s Plays All My Sons Death of a Salesman The Crucible regarding Salem Witch Trials (a commentary on McCarthyism)

Miller & Politics All My Sons was blocked to production in Europe because it could have a potentially negative depiction of the U.S. His first novel, Focus, denounced anti-Semitism in America In 1954 he was refused a passport questioned by the House on UnAmerican Activities; he was accused of being a communist

ALL MY SONS- 1947

Miller’s Writing Miller often addressed issues that are present in everyday life His themes were often inspired by issues that the common American person would face. Believed “Theatre can change the world.” “The assumption—or presumption behind [my] plays is that life has meaning. I would now add… that what they meant to me at the time of writing is not in each instance the same as what they mean to me now in the light of further experiences…. The society to which I responded was constantly changing, as it is changing while I write this sentence.” (1981)

THEMES Social responsibility Denial Guilt Morality Moral plight of working class The desire to achieve the American dream and how it affected the actions of men

“In Greece’s best time, people who were nonpolitical were regarded as idiots It was the idiot who didn’t understand that man was social, that our fate in the deepest sense of the word was bound up with all of mankind.” 1980

Themes- Morality Morality- a code of conduct which determines what is right and wrong in society Someone who is very moral differentiates between right and wrong and makes decisions based on those beliefs