“Depiction Of Social Morality and Family Dynamics in the Plays of Arthur Miller”

Abstract

This paper investigates the interrelated themes of social morality and family dynamics in Arthur Miller‟s plays. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate what Miller wants to impress upon our minds through his plays, that a man should subordinate his personal interests and even the interest of his family to the interests of society at large. In his plays, Miller shows his deep concern with social issues. Arthur Miller has focused upon a single subject, “the struggle of the individual attempting to gain his „rightful‟ position in his society” and his family. In simple words, his dramas deal with man‟s relationship with society and family. He has brought back into the theatre the drama of social questions. Each of his four chief plays is built on a family situation. “All My Sons” and “Death of a Salesman” on the father - son conflict. “The Crucible” and “A View from the Bridge” on the triangle of sex. Dealing with some vital family problems, they criticize or comment upon the structure of society. So they must be considered as conventional social plays. His plays are obviously family concerned. But his heroes are more than failed husband and fathers because he has recognized that the most impressive family plays, from Oedipus through Hamlet to Ghosts, have modified the concept of the family and of the individual under the pressure of society. Each of his heroes is involved in one way or another in a struggle that results from his acceptance or rejection of an image that is the product of his society‟s values and prejudices. Miller‟s plays masterfully depict social morality and family dynamics as intertwined forces shaping human tragedy, critiquing the erosion of ethical responsibility under conformity. Miller‟s plays explore the emotional and social impact of family dynamics on individuals and their choices. His greatest works like “Death of a Salesman” and “All My Sons”, predominantly explore American theme and themes they also resonate with universal human experiences, focusing on family dynamics and societal expectations.