Arthur Miller & Postmodernism

Although Arthur Miller began writing his early works during the modernist movement, an early 20^th century movement challenging the traditional norms, beliefs, and literary structure, most of Miller’s critically acclaimed work, including The Crucible and Death of a Salesman, was published during the postmodernist literature movement (Bradford). Postmodernism, although difficult to define, is a post-World War II (late 1940s to present) literary movement often referred to as simply the descendant of modernism. Postmodernism, however, is frequently viewed as possessing the opposite (or broader) characteristics of modernism, for instance, while modernism is generally rational and organized, postmodernism is generally irrational and fragmented (“Literary Theory”).

Death of a Salesman, Miller’s most prominent work, was written in 1949 during the emergence of the American dream, the belief that fame, success, and wealth could be obtained through hard work and dedication. Death of a Salesman not only encompasses this philosophy, but also several other postmodernist beliefs, such as the studying of the past to improve the future and living ones parent’s lost dreams. By describing the failure of living the American dream and its effect on one’s family, Miller’s play also serves as a social commentary discussing the social values of the post-World War II era (Lombardi).

The Crucible, Miller’s most controversial work, was published in 1953 at the time of the McCarthy trials, during which the House Committee on Un-American Activities (HUAC) prosecuted Americans, often actors and writers, for allegedly being supporters of Communism. Through his 17^th century Salem witch trial allegory in The Crucible, Miller indirectly criticized McCarthyism, later landing Miller in front of the HUAC himself (“None Without Sin”). By criticizing McCarthyism, Miller engaged in another important aspect of postmodernist literature generally not present in modernist literature, namely politicizing current events (Geyh).

In conclusion, Arthur Miller’s most prominent work, including Death of a Salesman and The Crucible, was published during the postmodernist literature movement. Written during the post-World War II era and Cold War, Miller’s work touches on subjects such as the American Dream, success and failure, family values, and McCarthyism (Lombardi).

Works Cited

"Arthur Miller - None Without Sin." PBS: Public Broadcasting Service. 23 Aug. 2006. Web. 21 Nov. 2011. <http://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/episodes/arthur-miller/none-without-sin/56/>.

Bradford, Wade. "Arthur Miller - Biography of an American Playwright." About.com: Plays & Drama. Web. 21 Nov. 2011. <http://plays.about.com/od/playwrights/p/arthurmiller.htm>.

Geyh, Paula. "Postmodernism." New Dictionary of the History of Ideas. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. 20 Nov. 2011 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

"Literary Theory and Schools of Criticism." Purdue University Online Writing Lab (OWL). Web. 20 Nov. 2011. <http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/722/08/>.

Lombardi, Esther. "Death of a Salesman." About.com: Books & Literature Classics. Web. 21 Nov. 2011. <http://classiclit.about.com/od/deathofasalesman/fr/aa_death.htm>.