Three Plays by Arthur Miller in the Context of Cultural Materialism

Many critics have examined Arthur Miller's plays from different viewpoints, but they have not shown a real interest in studying those active sociological relations amounting to a cultural dynamism, which, if examined carefully, leads to a re-examination of our reading of the plays quite remarkably. Thereby, this thesis attempts to explore such relations, as it implores Raymond Williams's efforts in this regard. Williams revises the Marxist Cultural theory and provides a methodology for the analysis of literary works. In view of that, Miller's All My Sons (1947), a Death of a Salesman (1949), and A View from a Bridge (1955, revised 1956) are read in the context of Raymond Williams's cultural materialism, as Miller's plays offer a rich milieu for social interaction and relations.      

This thesis examines a variety of relationships, which an individual establishes and develops in the domain of his/her culture, which is either subordinated or dominant, and looks at the pressures that work together in the various aspects of the social order. Viewing one aspect only is hardly enough for a thorough comprehension of the protagonists' choices of alternatives. Only a few critics have considered the necessity of perceiving an individual's struggle within that primacy of culture and not within one or two of its components. Thus, in this thesis, each play epitomizes the different layers of a dynamic social order.    

Along these lines, this study attempts to offer a potent understanding of concrete conditions that determine the character's life. In the context of cultural materialism, the text is looked at in relation to the world beyond it. Accordingly, these three plays reflect and question a period that extends from 1886 to 1950s and highlights some of America's compelling historic and social moments.       

​​