All about the Author!

ARTHUR MILLER

Born on October 17th, 1915

Died on February 10th, 2005

Family: Miller was the second of three children whose parents were Isidore and Augusta Miller. His father was a moderately wealthy businessman who owned a women's clothing store employing 400 people. Miller's family lost everything in the Wall Street Crash of 1929; he delivered bread every morning before school to help his family during this difficult time. He married his college sweetheart, Mary Slattery (daughter of an insurance salesman), who had two children with Arthur. Miller had an affair with Marilyn Monroe whom he married but she later died of drug overdose and he ended up marrying again to a woman named Inge Morath (they had two children, one that had down syndrome).

Education: Miller graduated from Abraham Lincoln High School in 1932 and continued his education at the University of Michigan where he first majored in journalism. He worked at several menial jobs throughout high school to help pay for his college tuition. Miller later changed his major to English in which he received his BA and established the university's Arthur Miller Award in 1985.

Career: After graduating from college, Miller began working in the Brooklyn Navy Yard while continuing to write plays. In 1946 Miller wrote a play called All my Sons which was a success on Broadway, earning him his first Tony Award for best author. Miller wrote After the Fall in 1964 which was based off of his marriage with Marilyn Monroe and a year lated he was elected the first American president of International PEN (a position with which he held for four years).

Death of a Salesman: In 1948 Miller built a small studio in Connecticut where he wrote Acts one and two of DOS within six weeks. It became one of the classics of world theater; the play won Tony Award for best author, New York Drama Circle Critics' Award, and the Pulitzer Prize for drama. DOS premiered on Broadway in 1949 at the Morosco Theatre; it was the first play ever to win all three major awards and was performed 742 times.

Pictures from DOS!

 Four pictures representing Death of a Salesman

This picture gives an idea of what the Lomans' house looked like; Willy and his family lived off of his commission for many years and he even had to borrow money from his neighbor at times. Parts of their house didn't have ceilings or walls so they didn't have very much privacy.

Will Loman owned a red chevy truck; it ran well and looked amazing when the boys were in high school but the longer he owned it, the older it began to look and act. He really loved that car.

Biff and Willy were pals back when Biff was growing up and even when he was heading off to college. This picture shows their loving relationship and how Willy had a major impact on his son; they were close until Biff found out about his dad's affair.

When I look at this picture it looks to me like Biff is kind of left out when in reality it's Happy who is ignored by his parents pretty much his whole life. Biff follows in his father's footsteps until he realizes one day that he doesn't want to be like his dad (this isn't for a while after high school).