Looking for the World that would be Perfect

Abstract

During the 1940s the Millers had lived in relative obscurity, and it had been a simple matter to separate their private and professional lives. Of necessity they had existed quietly, and the demands of their two young children, Jane Ellen (born 1944) and Robert tborn 1946), occupied much of their energy and attention. The religious and temperamental differences between Mary and her mother-in-law, and the fact that the children were being raised without a sense of their Jewish background, imposed slight but perceptible strains on family relationships. But these problems seemed minor, and the Roxbury farm enabled the young couple to secure some privacy and independence. In the next five years all that would change. As one of the New York stage’s most exciting new talents, Miller found himself drawn more and more into the public spotlight. There his outspoken opposition to political persecution and his sympathy for leftist causes brought him unfavourable attention from right-wing commentators and the unwelcome attention of the House Committee on Un-American Activities.