New York A Cultural Melting Pot, And The American Dream

Arthur Miller New York is a cultural melting pot, and the American Dream is intertwined with the identity of the city. Born on October 17,1915, Arthur Miller grew up in the vivacious immigrant neighborhoods of Harlem and Brooklyn (Rollyson and Sterling 1). Miller’s father withdrew from family life after his business failed in the Great Depression, and the image of a failed father figure scarred Miller’s psyche forever (Rosefeldt and Sherman 1). To Miller, the Great Depression was a watershed event, as he thought that: â€Å"the Depression signifies [signified] the failure of a system and the tragedy of a generation of people who would blame this failure on themselves† (Rosefeldt 1). Miller worked odd jobs to save money, and he was accepted to the University of Michigan. Miller rejected the romanticism that pervaded around him, and he fought to bring a realistic and existentialist point of view in the theatre. Though many of his early works failed, All My Sons (1947) was an unp recedented hit. It related the individual’s responsibility to society to advocate the greater good (Rollyson and Sterling 1). Miller’s magnum opus came in the form of Death of a Salesman (1949). The play ran for 742 performances and it still continues to be performed today. Willy Loman, the main character, chases the American Dream, but fails as a father and businessman, leading to his suicide. It netted Miller the Pulitzer Prize as well (Rosefeldt 2). Then, in 1953, Miller analyzed the repressive nature ofShow MoreRelatedHumans Of New York : Redefining The American Dream, One Photograph At A Time1569 Words   |  7 PagesHumans of New York Redefining the American Dream, one photograph at a time. E PLURIBUS UNUM (one that is made up of many) was a slogan initially designed to promote the birth of a ‘federation’, but plurality and heterogeneity have always been integral to the American society. 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