The Price by Arthur Miller

Arthur Miller’s “The Price”

Arthur Miller wrote and composed the drama and book The Price, which was released in 1968. Miller attempts to explain to his audience what siblings owe to each other, what the world owes to people with reasonable integrity, and what sons owe to their fathers. The Price is a drama and a work of fiction about a family secret; it primarily centers on two boys who chose to follow different paths in terms of their future and their obligations to support their father, who was affected by the stock market crash during the 1930 Great Depression. They were made to understand by their father that he lacked the funds to send them to college. Therefore, at this point, Victor and Walter decide to take a drastic decision regarding their future and career. The two have memories of the past events touching their lives (Miller, 42).

The Brothers’ Divergent Paths

However, each of the brothers feels that the other made a deliberate decision while they had no choice in the resolution that led to their alienation. Additionally, each of them believes that he paid much price than the brother to achieve the success they have. Victor accepted his father’s fate and became a police officer after their high school education. However, Walter who is suspicious of the possibility of his father hiding money in a bid to increase his sense of assurance struggles to proceed with his education to become a surgeon. In school Victor was brighter, than his brother. Nonetheless, his passion and determination to succeed in life was the cornerstone of his successful story. The personal life of Walter is a complete disorganization, but he keeps struggling to reach for more success as compared to his brother who has been working for more than 20 years in the police force.

Walter’s Suspicion and Ambivalence

Miller presents the argument about Walter with a strong case in all his activities and interactions with his family particularly his father. Walter feels that there is some suspicious nature about his father who conceived an environment to make the sons believe that he had no money to provide them a college education. Walter’s attitude towards his father and the family makes him not to trust any of his family members. As Walter’s wealth increases, Victor goes to him to ask for a financial loan to help him proceed with his education.

The Struggle for Reconciliation

Despite Walter having the capacity to give the credit to Victor, he lacks trust and suspects him. Moreover, Walter fails to understand why Victor cannot see it that their father is hiding money from them by claiming that he lost all the money he had in the stock market during the Great Depression. Miller also brings out Walter as a forgiving and non-judgmental persona. He is ready to bury their hatchets; he overlooks all the events that have caused them to have bitterness towards each other. However, Victor is not in support of the idea of reconciliation insisting that he cannot let all the events that defined their future go quickly.

Conclusion

In a nutshell, the play The Price by Miller describes the life experience a family specifically the lives of two brothers who made decisions that affected their future life and career. Miller explicitly describes Walter and the best decisions he made to achieve success in his life. Walter becomes a surgeon after struggling to gain educational accomplishes but Victor becomes a police officer. Walter feels he made the most and best decision regarding his career and life when compared to that of Victor that he is ready to bury their differences.

Works Cited

Miller, Arthur. “The Price.” Saturday Evening Post, vol. 241, no. 3, 10 Feb. 1968, pp. 40-59.