Arthur Miller Research Paper

Considered one of the best authors and playwrights of the twentieth century, Arthur Miller is best known for works such as All My Sons, A View from the Bridge, The Crucible and the Pulitzer Prize-winning Death of a Salesman. Millar was born on October 17, 1915 in Harlem, New York (Arthur Miller Biography, 2015). His parents, father Isidore and mother Agusta, were immigrants of Polish and Jewish descent. His father owned a successful coat business while his mother was a teacher (Biography.com Editors). Once finished with High School, Miller worked to save money to attend the University of Michigan (Arthur Miller Biography, 2015). While he was there, he received the Avery Hopwood Award for his play, No Villain. (Biography.com Editors). He took

Colonists from these and other areas brought their traditions with them to America. In addition, Native Americans and African slaves transported to the New World had their own traditions that dabbled in the occult and dark arts (The Salem Witch Hysteria and “Witchcraft” in 17th-Century New England). Belief in the supernatural–and specifically in the devil’s practice of giving certain humans (witches) the power to harm others in return for their loyalty-was widespread in colonial New England. Thus, colonial New England was rife with superstition, fear and mistrust. More mythical than real, witchcraft played to the psyche of the intensely superstitious and God-fearing Puritan population. Puritans sought to “purify” Christianity, Catholic and Protestant alike. They believed that humanity existed for the grander glory of God, and their life mission lay with doing God’s work for the reward of eternal happiness and peace in Heaven (The Salem Witch Hysteria and “Witchcraft” in 17th-Century New England). In Massachusetts during the seventeenth century, people often feared that the Devil was constantly trying to find ways to infiltrate and destroy Christians and their communities. As a devout and strongly religious community living in near isolation in the mysterious New World, the community of Salem had a heightened sense of fear of the Devil (The Salem Witch Hysteria and “Witchcraft” in 17th-Century New England). A few characteristics the colonists looked out for to determine a witch ranged from if the person talks or mutters to themself, which was seen as the person trying to cast a spell to if a women has pets or is well associated with the animal, she is probably using it for witchcraft (Characteristics of Witches). Once found guilty of