Miller's breakthrough came in 1947 with "All My Sons." The play, which tells the story of a successful businessman who sold defective airplane parts to the military during World ⇪ II×, was a critical and commercial success. It won the New York drama Critics' Circle Award and two Tony Awards. More importantly, it established Miller as a major voice in American theater.

The success of "All My Sons" allowed Miller to focus on writing full-time. He bought a small house in Brooklyn Heights and set to work on his next play, which would become his most famous work and a landmark of American theater.