Miller's prolific writing career spans a period of over sixty years. During this time, Miller has written twenty-six plays, a novel entitled Focus (1945), several travel journals, a collection of short stories entitled I Don't Need You Anymore (1967), and an autobiography entitled Timebends: A Life (1987). Miller's plays generally address social issues and center around an individual in a social dilemma, or an individual at the mercy of society.
Miller's first play, No Villain, produced in 1936, explores Marxist theory and inner conflict through an individual facing ruin as a result of a strike. Honors at Dawn, 1937, also centers around a strike and contrasting views of the economy, but focuses on an individual's inability to express himself. The Great Disobedience, 1938, makes a connection between the prison system and capitalism. The Golden Years, 1940, tells the story of Cortes despoiling Mexico, as well as the effects of capitalism and fate on the individual.
Miller produced two radio plays in 1941: The Pussycat and the Expert Plumber Who Was a Man, and William Ireland's Confession. Miller's third radio play, The Four Freedoms, was produced in 1942.
The Man Who Had All the Luck, 1944, revolves around a person who believes he has no control over his life, but is instead the victim of chance. All My Sons, 1947, explores the effect of past decisions on the present and future of the individual. Death of a Salesman, 1949, addresses the loss of identity, as well as a man's inability to accept change within himself and society. The Crucible, 1953, recreates the Salem witch trials, focusing on paranoid hysteria as well as the individual's struggle to remain true to ideals and convictions.
