All My Sons
All My Sons is a play written by Arthur Miller. The plot of the play is that, it is based just after WW2 and about an American family who live in the outskirts of an American town. The Kellers are the family that are known by everyone in the town. Joe Keller is a business man who made parts for fighter planes in the war. Larry who is Joes son who went missing during the war while fighting. Joe and his family have a dark past and although they are known for everyone its not for good reasons. At the end everything unfolds and the family face horrible consequences.
At the beginning of the play Joe appears to be a kind hearted man who will do anything for his family and friends, he seems as though he couldnt hurt a fly and that he has never and will never do anything bad almost as if he is the perfect man whom everyone loves
Walkin down the street that day I was guilty as hell, except I wasnt, and there was a court paper in my pocket to prove I wasnt and I walkedpast.. the porches result? Fourteen months later I had one of the best shops in the state again, a respected man again, bigger than ever
Later we learnt that the neighbours still think we pulled a fast one, but they enjoy his company and admire him for being smart. He also pulls the wool over Annies eyes as well and he did this by telling Annie to forgive her dad because he wasnt the murderer she thought he was The man was a fool, but don make a murderer out of him.
The truth of the matter is that he is trying to get Annie to forgive her dad because Joe knows it is his fault the army men died in a plane crash.
Annie fails to realise this because Joe is making his side of the story believable and is convincing he with his persuasive ways and his side of the story.
Joe changes under the stress of events that start to unfold. When he is forced to admit he is responsible for killing the men he pleads that he only did it for the family. This is true to a certain extent because he says to Chris his other son that he did what he did for Chris and the business. what the hell did I work for? Its only for you Chris. The whole shootin match for you. At this stage Joe is feeling guilty.
Joe fails to understand the revulsion that his son suffers. This is showed by what he says to Chris then why am I bad?. Joe defends his role for the community and this is shown by the following quote who looked for nothin in that war? When they work for nothin, Ill work for nothing.
George arrives like an avenging spirit fresh from hearing his fathers version of events but is soon falling under Joe Kellers spell this is due to Joe acting sweet towards George, and telling him that if he moves next door to the Kellers then Joe will give George a job. This is making George happy and its making George believe him.
Kate who is Joes wife contradicts Joes version of the past which George is ready to believe. he hasnt been laid up in fifteen years this quote shows that Kate forgot about the time when Joe sent out the faulty cylinder heads and he said it was because he said he had flu at the time they were sent out.
At the end of act 2 Joes personality has changed completely because he appears to be a liar due to it turning out he wasnt ill the day the faulty cylinder heads were sent out. This shows he was lying all along and that he is responsible for 21 army men dying.
Joe is forced to finally realise that he was responsible for the death of his own son when Annie tells him about the letter Larry sent to her during the war. Joe is responsible because Larry didnt die he killed himself because of what his dad had done and that he couldnt live knowing its his own dads fault 21 of his comrades died. I think to him, they were all my sons and I guess they were this quote is from Joe and shows that Larry was right.
Joe exits and Arthur Miller leads us to the knowledge of what Joe is about to do by making the stage directions tell us that the Kellers hear a gunshot from the garage which is where Joe had just gone.
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