“Long as There’s Capitalism, Baby”: The Relevancy of The American Clock

Abstract

With millions of Americans leaving the workplace during the Great Resignation, Arthur Miller’s 1980 play The American Clock continues to be a relevant and prescient barometer for our current socioeconomic climate. Whether Americans were speculating in penny stocks leading up to the Great Depression or using online platforms to bet on “meme stocks” and cryptocurrency today, or whether naively trusting in Rockefeller or Elon Musk as economic saviors spouting esoteric pecuniary wisdom, Miller’s play is a timeless mirror reflecting the foibles of human nature. Miller’s adaptation of historical figures such as Jesse Livermore not only scrutinizes the greed and gullibility of 1920s America but also informs current economic and social dynamics. Like much of Miller’s work, the play includes autobiographical elements, with the Baum family corresponding to the Miller family’s experience during the Depression. This article demonstrates how The American Clock remains relevant in the twenty-first century.