Some literary works possess a unique quality in which themes are intertwined with the author's personal experiences to convey a realistic and tangible message. Arthur Miller's masterpiece, All My Sons, reflects the struggles and sacrifices that the working class had to endure in an attempt to keep the American dream alive. A life of prosperity and security was every man's dream, and Miller's childhood was nothing but prosperous until the Great Depression hit and left his family and many people destitute. With the Great Depression serving as the imposing backdrop to his adolescence and the World War II that followed, Arthur Miller's All My Sons is not only a reflection of the time, but is a testament to the struggles individuals faced while desperately at war. fighting for the American dream. Arthur Asher Miller was born on October 17, 1915, in New York City, the second of three children of Isidore Miller, a women's coat maker who emigrated from Austria, and Augusta (Barnett) Miller. He was a playwright of several famous works including the post-World War II play, All My Sons. Miller grew up during a time of severe economic crisis in America. The cultural and economic circumstances of his upbringing would influence his thoughts, beliefs, and writing. As a result, the Great Depression became a related theme in many of Miller's works. Additionally, he studied the psychological effects this financial crisis had on American society, as well as the dilemmas encountered after the war. There were many personal changes that occurred in Miller's early life during the Great Depression. His father's coat factory business in New York failed in the "Black Thursday" stock market crash in ... half of the paper ... Works Cited "Biography of Arthur Miller." Bio.com. A&E Network Television. Network. February 7, 2012. Kennedy, David M. Freedom from Fear: The American People in Depression and War 1924-1945. New York: Oxford UP, 1999. Print.Miller, Arthur A. “All My Sons.” Famous American plays of the 1940s. By Henry Hewes. New York, New York: Dell, 1988. 199-288. Print.Oikawa, Masahiro. "All My Children as a Forerunner in the Dramatic World of Arthur Miller." Ritsumeikan Annual Review of International Studies 1 (2002): 99-120. 2002. Network. February 10, 2012. Rosefeldt, Paul, and Baird R. Shuman. "Arthur Miller." Magill's survey of American literature. Pasadena, California: Salem, 2007. 1-9. September 2006. Web. 9 February. 2012. .