Preview

All my sons

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
572 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
All my sons
All my sons
1. Larry’s letter is instrumental in forcing Keller to realise his fault. Discuss (20M)
All My Sons a play by Arthur Miller was staged at the coronet theatre in January 1947 and ran for 328 performances. The play was well constructed and realistic in nature, and it was extremely popular among the audiences. All My Sons started in the middle of things and spends most of the play uncovering the facts of the past so that the audience can see the last act consequences in the present. The play actually deals with the fate of Joe Keller, an uneducated self-made man who has committed an atrocious act during World War II. The play ends with the suicide of the Joe Keller who repents after being exposed with the content of his son Larry’s letter.
As mentioned earlier, Joe Keller is an uneducated self-made man who has committed an atrocious act during World War II. Keller has as partner Steve Deever and their factory manufactures cylinder heads for aircrafts. During the war, they receive a contract from the army to supply cylinder heads on an urgent basis. However the cylinder heads had hairline cracks in them and Keller is immediately informed by Deever. But Keller asked Deever to get the cylinder heads welded and that he would take full responsibility of the damaged products. Unfortunately those damaged cylinder heads cause twenty-one planes to crash killing their pilots. However at the trial Keller denies responsibility and is exonerated, and the blame shifts to Steve Deever who is imprisoned. Following that Joe Keller lives in total impunity with his family.
However when he is confronted with the content of his son Larry’s letter, he is forced to realise his fault. In fact Larry’s letter was intended to his fiancée Ann, in which he reveals that he was shamed by his father’s involvement in fraud and profiteering. Consequently he committed suicide by allowing his plane to crash. However the content of the letter was kept secret by Ann because of her

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Larry the brother who runs away is also responsible for what has happened. He was the first son so he knew or should have been taught how to take care of his family in case his father died. He wasn't brave enough and didn't want to take care of his family. Larry left the chore to his brother Gilbert…

    • 674 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    O Brother Where Art Thou

    • 1612 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Berardinelli, James. Rev. of O Brother Where Art Thou, dir. Joel Coen. ReelViews Online 22 Dec. 2000. 14 April 2008 <http://www.reelviews.net/movies/o/o_brother.html>…

    • 1612 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Willy Loman, from Death of a Salesman, was a the typical man during the late 1940s. He had a wife and two boys and had no other goal but to achieve the “American Dream.” He believed his purpose in life was to be a successful man, meaning wealth and well liked. His reputation was always one of his top priorities, but he cheated on his wife. Little did he know that that one mistake would be the main cause of his death. Before his death, he…

    • 436 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Ponyboy's The Outsiders

    • 377 Words
    • 2 Pages

    In The Outsiders Ponyboy recites a poem on page 77. I believe that the meaning of this poem is that not everything is meant to last. In this poem, he talks about how the dawn becomes day, leafs turn into flowers, and how Eden sank to grief. All of these examples show how things can change. The time of change changes all time, as well as the seasons and more. This poem is saying that nothing in nature is meant to be the same all the time. Plants in nature grow old and slowly wither away, as time goes on. People also can change their appearance and how they act towards specific people. They may avoid them or change their thoughts about them.…

    • 377 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Band Of Brothers

    • 1337 Words
    • 6 Pages

    “The only hope you have is to accept the fact that you’re already dead.” [The Band of Brothers] In 1942, the U.S. army assembled a volunteer parachute regiment to jump behind enemy lines. Embedded in this unit was a company of men who landed to fight at the forefront of the war in Europe. That company was Easy Company. The brave men parachuted behind enemy lines in the early hours of D-Day in support of the landings at Utah beach and much more. Doing so, the company sustained one of the highest casualty rates of WWII. Although there were a few minute inaccuracies within Band of Brothers, the show is well produced and accurately depicts the training of the paratroopers, the horrors of how the Jews were treated during the Holocaust, and the battles…

    • 1337 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    “O Brother, Where Art Thou” is a film that is based in Mississippi in the 1930s. It’s the story of three friends, Everett, Pete and Delmar, who are escaped convicts and their journey through the south dodging the law. This story is loosely based off of Homer’s “Odyssey.” The men run into many obstacles while in the pursuit of a treasure like in the “Odyssey.” Everett, Pete and Delmar all have their own material reason for seeking the treasure but in the end all of them accidently stumble upon redemption and happiness. This film has many themes one such theme is the idea of freedom through redemption.…

    • 911 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    All My Sons by Arthur Miller is a play about truth, love, and guilt. Chris Keller’s brother, Larry, went missing three years ago. Their mother, Kate, still believes Larry is alive, but Chris would like her to let go. Chris wishes to marry Larry’s ex-fiancée, Ann Deever. Chris marrying Ann is a very interesting decision because Ann’s father, Steve, is in prison for murdering twenty-one pilots. Joe Keller, Chris’s father, was accused of the same crime, but was exonerating quickly. Through a series of events, the characters learn Joe Keller is guilty of the murders, while Steve Deever is innocent. This shocks Chris, however many of the others had already figured this out. Another discovery was made, which no one but Ann had known about, the cause of Larry’s disappearence. Larry had written Ann a letter explaining how he committed suicide when he had found out the truth about his father. Throughout the play, the characters learn a great deal about each other and themselves. One character in particular is Chris Keller. Out of all the people written about in the play, Chris changes the most from beginning to end.…

    • 701 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    O Brother Where Art Thou

    • 1127 Words
    • 5 Pages

    The Coen brothers movie "O brother, where art thou?" is an exciting story, full of adventure and comedy, and if nothing but its comedic and entertainment value were taken into account, it would still be considered a great film. However the movie is not just an entertaining story. More so it is a vastly rich tale, which provides great insight into human nature, with many parallels to life in the modern world. Originally, it would seem that a story based during the great depression, would have no relevance to life in this technological age of the 21st century. The reality is that the central issues that face us, remain constant throughout the ages. Through the use of multiple themes and characterisation, particularly those of Everett Ulysses McGill, the Coen brothers have created a relevant and understandable perspective on life.…

    • 1127 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Better Essays

    Sons of liberty

    • 1732 Words
    • 7 Pages

    The Sons of Liberty used their power and influence to manipulate popular opinion, thereby inciting the public to act against the laws and control of England. They were one of the most influential groups behind the American Revolution.…

    • 1732 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Lost Boys

    • 435 Words
    • 2 Pages

    "In "The Lost Boy," the story describes the period in which the bewildered child, haunted by the fear of being returned to his mad and alcoholic mother, is passed between foster care homes. For six years, David Pelzer was sent to over ten different foster homes; sometimes returning to the same home twice. David's desperate attempts to be accepted by his peers led him into a life of petty crime, which, including cruel tricks his "friends" played on him, included stealing, and ending up going to "The Hill." This was a nickname for "Hillcrest," a juvenile detention ceter for boys who did wrong. After overcoming a trial to be free from his Mother, David (at the age of 12), begins his long journey from recovering from years of brainwash by his Mother; stealing from local grocery and toy stores, and periodically going into a stage of badness and being mean and cold to others. David's life story has touched so many hearts in the world, and he has gotten very far in his life. If he had ust laid back and been abused, stabbed, and tortured by his Mother, he may be dead right now. To David Pelzer; The Man Who Survived. (He was released from foster care at the age of 18, and joined the U.S Air Force as an air crew member.)"…

    • 435 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Families always have their share of problems. Some may be minor such as having to cope with a disobedient teenager or an irritable child. Others may be more serious and sometimes beyond repair, like having to deal with lack of communication, secrets being kept from one another or possibly a temperamental father. An example of this dysfunctional family can be found in the tragic play Death of a Salesman written by Arthur Miller. The family presented in this play is the Loman family. They drown themselves in each others lies and dreams in hope of solving their problems, only to cause the destruction of their family. Until you are ready to face reality, living in an illusive world, will lead your life to be full of misery. Willy Loman, the father, is a distressed man who is unable to see the truth in his misleading life. His wife Linda does nothing but worsen his problems by making excuses, when she knows very well the dilemma her husband is in. Willy's teachings and ethics have caused his two sons, Biff and Happy, to lead illusive lives as well.…

    • 1336 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Willy Loman’s entire existence was dedicated to providing for his family with his job as a salesman, something he was never very good at. At the time in which the play is set, Willy is well past the peak of his career, and all of his old clients and friends have either passed away or retired. He has virtually no means of income, and can barely feed his family. This inability to provide for his family is Willy’s ultimate failure, and culminates with him committing suicide in order to provide his sons with the financial stability to pursue a career in sales.…

    • 528 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Willy Loman's Suicide

    • 779 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Willy’s suicide represents a last attempt to propel himself and his family to financial security as well as his last push to achieve the American Dream. The combination of his excessive pride and inability to understand the reality of the Loman’s status ultimately drive him to the point where death becomes the only solution to Willy’s stress and despair over his failures as a salesman. In fact, Willy begins to view the idea of suicide favorably, telling Ben he can “see it like a diamond, shining in the dark, hard and rough” and that “[his] funeral will be massive… they’ll come from Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire… that boy will be thunderstruck” (100). For Willy, death is the last chance he has of achieving the American Dream, truly making him a tragic…

    • 779 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Children of Men

    • 720 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Viewers are dropped smack dab in the middle of a dystopian future, 2027, of war, infertility, fear of government, and total and utter chaos. The human race can no longer reproduce and governments have collapsed. The only “strong” government left is the United Kingdom’s, which is quickly crumbling. There are “terrorists” all over who call themselves ‘the fishes,’ talking about some sort of an uprising. All the while, bombs are exploding, and the world’s youngest human being was just murdered. In Children of Men, there is a meaning far greater than the actual story that is viewed on screen. As a team, director, Alfonso Cuarón, and the author of the original novel, P.D. James, intertwine fictional and futuristic events with nonfictional, modern, and/or historical events and beliefs to create the theme that the government is too harsh with their immigration laws.…

    • 720 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays