The Influence of Dostoyevsky's The Brothers Karamazov on the Plays of Arthur Miller

Abstract

One of the most consistent thematic elements we find in Miller's plays, from his early student writings to Mr. Peters' Connections, is his exploration of the love and rivalry to be found between brothers. Many have viewed this concern as being rooted in Miller's personal feelings of both admiration and resentment toward his older brother Kermit. But while this may have allowed Miller to create his dramatic siblings with more authenticity, might not this fascination with loving brothers at odds have another, more literary source? And more than that, what if this book also contained many other seeds of Miller's growing existential philosophy and literary tropes? Dostoyevsky was one of the first major authors to whom the young Miller was exposed, and this essay explores the possible influence of The Brothers Karamazov on Miller's work.