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Exploring the 1940s Through Death of a Salesman: Arthur Miller’s Reflection on the American Dream

This title delves into the 1940s context of Arthur Miller's iconic play and examines how it reflects American ideals. Learn about Miller’s life, the 1940s era, and societal changes, exploring themes and concepts through this Pulitzer Prize-winning work. Discover historical facts, the impact of World War II, and the iconic inventions of the era, offering a comprehensive look at the rich cultural tapestry of the 1940s.

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Exploring the 1940s Through Death of a Salesman: Arthur Miller’s Reflection on the American Dream

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  1. Introduction to Death of a Salesman and the 1940’s

  2. Arthur Miller "The American Dream is the largely unacknowledged screen in front of which all American writing plays itself out," Arthur Miller has said. "Whoever is writing in the United States is using the American Dream as an ironical pole of his story. People elsewhere tend to accept, to a far greater degree anyway, that the conditions of life are hostile to man's pretensions."

  3. Miller Bio. • Son of a women's clothing company • born in 1915 in New York City. • His father lost his business in the Depression and the family was forced to move to a smaller home in Brooklyn. • After graduating high school, Miller worked jobs ranging from radio singer to truck driver to clerk in an automobile-parts warehouse. • Miller began writing plays as a student at the University of Michigan, joining the Federal Theater Project in New York City after he received his degree. • His 1949 Death of a Salesman won the Pulitzer Prize.

  4. What’s so Special about the 1940’s? • FACTS about this decade. • Population 132,122,000 • Unemployed in 1940 - 8,120,000 • National Debt $43 Billion • Average Salary $1,299. Teacher's salary $1,441 • Minimum Wage $.43 per hour • 55% of U.S. homes have indoor plumbing • Antarctica is discovered to be a continent • Life expectancy 68.2 female, 60.8 male • Auto deaths 34,500 • Supreme Court decides blacks do have a right to vote • World War II changed the order of world power; the  United States and the USSR become super powers • Cold War begins.

  5. Other 1940’s Contributions • Frozen Dinners • Tupperware • Aluminum Foil • Diners • Slinky • With fathers away (WWII) and mothers at work, another new phenomenon arose - the juvenile delinquent

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