8.1.1
Miller’s Family & The Great Depression
Miller’s Family & The Great Depression
Miller’s Family & The Great Depression
Miller knew the fear of failure and of financial collapse that had been experienced by millions of Americans and he was able to draw on this in his drama.
Achievement of the play
Achievement of the play
- Much of the praise given to Death of a Salesman focussed on Miller’s achievement in weaving together the public and the private – in giving the domestic family drama of the Loman household such power that it was able to speak to all of America about its hopes and fears; its successes and failures; its past, present and future.
Miller's family
Miller's family
- Miller’s own family history most probably contributed much to this.
- He grew up in a prosperous German-Jewish family thanks to his father’s successful manufacturing business and his mother’s position as a schoolteacher.
Experience of poverty
Experience of poverty
- But the onset of the Great Depression after the Wall Street Crash in 1929 meant that Miller and his family faced a period of poverty and upheaval.
Miller's perception
Miller's perception
- Miller knew the fear of failure and of financial collapse that had been experienced by millions of Americans and he was able to draw on this in his drama.
The Depression
The Depression
- At the peak of the Depression in 1933, over 13 million Americans, a quarter of the labour force, were unemployed.
- Poverty and suffering were widespread.
1Introduction
1.1Introductions
2Act One
3Act Two
4Extended Passage Analysis
5Character Profiles
5.1Willy & Linda Loman
5.2Biff & Happy Loman
5.3Other Characters
6Key Themes
7Writing Techniques
7.1Structure
7.3Expressionism
8Historical Context
8.1Historical Context
9Literary Context
9.1Tragedy
10Critical Debates
10.1Introduction
10.2The Marxist Reading
10.3The Feminist Reading
10.4The Eco-Critical Reading
10.5Other Debates
Jump to other topics
1Introduction
1.1Introductions
2Act One
3Act Two
4Extended Passage Analysis
5Character Profiles
5.1Willy & Linda Loman
5.2Biff & Happy Loman
5.3Other Characters
6Key Themes
7Writing Techniques
7.1Structure
7.3Expressionism
8Historical Context
8.1Historical Context
9Literary Context
9.1Tragedy
10Critical Debates
10.1Introduction
10.2The Marxist Reading
10.3The Feminist Reading
10.4The Eco-Critical Reading
10.5Other Debates
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