Arthur Miller - Death of a Salesman/The Crucible

Description

Arthur Miller was one of the most important American playwrights and political and cultural figures of the 20th century. Both Death of a Salesman and The Crucible stand out as his major works: the former is always in performance somewhere in the world and the latter is Miller's most produced play. As major modern American dramas, they are the subject of a huge amount of criticism which can be daunting for students approaching the plays for the first time. This Reader's Guide introduces the major critical debates surrounding the plays and discusses their unique production histories, initial theatre reviews and later adaptations. The main trends of critical inquiry and scholars who have purported them are examined, as are the views of Miller himself, a prolific self-critic.

Stephen Marino is Adjunct Professor of English at St Francis College, USA. He is the founding editor of The Arthur Miller Journal and chaired the Arthur Miller Centennial Conference in 2015.

'Plays change over time and with every production. That is why they live on the pulse. Criticism, too, is responsive to a changing world offering new perspectives as a light shone through a prism displays the full range of colours. Stephen Marino has done a remarkable job in guiding us through some 70 years of critical responses to two of Miller's major works, in doing so reminding us of the nature of the achievement of a writer who wanted to engage in a dialogue with America but who ended having a dialogue with the world.' - Christopher Bigsby, University of East Anglia, UK 'Marino has written a well-organized and invaluable guide to the ongoing debate regarding the significance of Miller's two best-known plays, that not only allows us to view the varied depths of these seminal works, but also the ways in which critical trends affect perceptions and insight. Maintaining a keen eye to the unique status of dramatic literature in regard to its performative aspect, Marino offers detailed description and trenchant analysis of the multiple strands of scholarly enquiry into Death of a Salesman and The Crucible as plays, films, and cultural icons.' - Susan C. W. Abbotson, Rhode Island College, USA