SOCIOLOGICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES IN ARTHUR MILLER'S THE MAN WHO HAD ALL THE LUCK

Abstract [English]

This paper explores complex sociological and psychological themes, especially through the fate and struggle of its protagonist David Beeves. The play integrates ideas of luck, merit, identity and existential anxiety within a shifting social landscape marked by the American Dream and the after math of the Great Depression. Arthur Miller’s plays critically explore the intricate interplay between sociological and psychological dimensions in shaping human experience. Sociologically, Miller focuses on the impact of societal structures, economic realities and cultural expectations particularly the pressures of the American Dream an individual identity and social relationships. His characters often navigates alienation, materialism and familial duty within turbulent social contexts. Psychologically, Miller delves into the inner lives of his characters, emphasizing themes of anxiety, guilt, self doubt and existential crisis. Miller’s work reveals how external social conditions and internal psychological struggles are interwoven illustrating the complexity of human dignity, morality and belonging. This dual focus highlights that individual tragedy often results from the failure to reconcile personal identity with social demands, making his dreams poignant critiques of both societal norms and the human conditions. The play situates its themes within the context of the Great Depressions, revealing the social insecurity and economic hardships of the era. David Beeves is portrayed as “a man who has all the luck” in a time when many around him suffer from poverty and failure. David’s success and widespread hardship mirrors the societal disorientation and moral questioning of what success really means in such turbulent times. Together, these perspectives show how Miller’s work probes the complex interplay between individual psychology and social forces, emphasizing the unpredictability of life, the burden of luck, and the quest for meaning and responsibility in challenging world.