Miller’s early American fable, tells the story of two brothers, David and Amos Beeves, and the fate which sends one brother on to success while the other spirals down into failure. The mild mannered and innocent David’s life appears to be a steady progression of good fortune, where everything he tries succeeds and obstacles seem to fall helplessly by the wayside. However, his phenomenal luck begins to breed anxiety and he becomes convinced that fate will one day do him in. By contrast, his brother Amos is a promising athlete, whose years of hard work and practice have prepared him for the big time. When his moment arrives, he fails – the damage done from over-coaching by his doting father has come with a price, which leads both men to understand the mysteries of fate and destiny in life.
