All My Sons
To
what Extent Can “All My Sons” be Seen as a Criticism of “the American Dream”
and the American Way
The American Dream was born out of the
deprivation of the war and the great depression America went through; measured
by affluence, a rise in the accepted standard of living, it was the total
opposite to war times.“ Everyman a king. All things even better” In Miller’s
play the Keller family are seen to be living the “American Dream”, yet their
ways and means of obtaining this are greatly criticised by Miller.
The Keller’s live in an outer-city suburb in a house that “would have cost perhaps fifteen thousand in the early twenties”. Another indication of this is when Joe throws out the vegetables mistaking them for garbage, as this level of waste would not even be consider during the war and perhaps for some time after, but Joe is indifferent, shown when he says “I can afford another bag of potatoes”. The Keller’s also have a maid, another sign of wealth. Also when Chris tells Joe of his marriage plans he decides to take him out for dinner, where there will be ”big time tonight” with “steak” and “champagne” which would have still been not easily affordable luxuries. This can suggest that by the way Joe is splashing his money about that he is not ashamed of his wealth and sees no wrong in what he has done as he has worked hard to earn it for himself ans his family.
Joe Keller represents everyman, he is a “man among men” with strong family values (“A father is a father”). He runs a successful business that engineered aeroplane parts throughout the war, and knowingly sent out parts with defects so not to lose profit, his denial of these actions led to Steve Deever, Ann and George’s father being imprisoned. Joe feels he did nothing wrong and shows very little guilt throughout the play, which he covers up by putting on a façade and is perhaps why he can spend his money so unashamedly. He shows recognition of his actions when he says to Chris “I’m a business man… a hundred and twenty cylinder heads cracked, you’re out of business… you lay forty years into a business and they knock you out in five minutes…when would I have had another chance to make something for you?” and he justifies his actions as he wanted to create a future for Chris ( “I want you to use what a made for you… without shame”) and it is possible for him to do this as Chris is innocent of Joe’s guilt.
Larry and Chris especially are the soldiers who fought in the war forAmerica
When Chris enlightens Ann with his thoughts, she reassure him by saying “there’s nothing wrong with your money… you should be proud” and this perhaps can help him believe in his fathers innocence which he was starting to doubt as she obviously believes in it, and also it can suggest that she also has strong family values as she says he should “be proud” of his father and what he did for the war, however Ann doesn’t know the extent of what happened and didn’t experience the war first hand therefore this is why she might say this. However her brother George, Joe’s nemesis tells her later “everything they have has blood on it” which can suggest that he also takes the view of Chris that making money from war is a very wrong thing to do as it was a serious event that took millions of lives, and not an opportunity to make a fast buck.
Sue Bayliss, the Keller’s neighbour understands that the world is run by money and that to be considered successful you have to have money and thus live the “American Dream“, shown when she tells Ann “Jim’s a successful doctor…like to do medical research… pays twenty five dollars a week… you’ve got to give up your life to go into it” which she then says it is “Chris’s fault” as “he makes people want to be better than its possible to be”. Sue feels Jim should sacrifice his dream to provide a comfortable life for his family as they should be his main priority. Jim acknowledges this in act three when he says that he lives “in the usual darkness” and “it’s hard to remember the kind of man I wanted to be. I’m a good husband” which shows he feels his desire to be better has been lost and he’s settled for being a good provider for his family and pleasing his wife. The “usual darkness” he mentions I feel is the ignorance of the world around him and his moral obligation to that.
A main theme of Miller’s play is everyman’s “universe of obligation”, or their responsibility towards not just those close to them but those all around them, a connection to the world. This can relate back to the title of the play “All My Sons” meaning not just the fathers own sons, but all the sons of the world and their responsibility for one another.
Joe is a man of conflicting morals: his love and responsibility of his family outweighs his love and responsibility for the rest of mankind. In a sense he ignores his “universe of obligation” as his provider role takes priority. Miller says of Joe that “ his trouble is not that he can’t tell right from wrong but that his cast of mind cannot admit that he, personally, has any viable connection with his world”,. Therefore I think that Joe knows what he did was wrong, yet he feels he had the right sentiment and that was to keep his family going and provide the best life possible for them, he did not think of the others who would be flying the planes, who would die and their families.
Chris has a very strong sense of “universal obligation“, which I think came from his experience as a company commander in the war, as when he says “They didn’t die; they killed themselves for each other… one new thing was made. A kind of - responsibility. Man for man.” This can show that he has realised that during the war men showed very high levels of responsibility for each other, men they’d never met, men they didn’t know and that was who they were fighting for and he regards this very highly morally. He then says of his new life that “when you drive that car you’ve got to know that it came out of the love a man can have for a man, you’ve got to be a little better because of that” and this can suggest that he feels humbled by what these men have done to create the better life that they are living now and without them this wouldn’t have been possible.
Tension between Chris and Joe comes to a head in act three, after the revelation of what Joe has done and Larry’s Death. Chris tells Joe “you can be better.. you can know there’s a universe of people outside and you’re responsible to it” and I feel this is when Chris realises Joe has no sense of responsibility to the world, just to his family and he in a sense preaches to his father. For Joe I feel he is totally ashamed by this as he feels everything he did he did for Chris, his only son (“its all for you Chris, the whole shootin‘ match is for you“), yet Chris is disgusted by this and this is the root of Joe’s demise as he was blinded by his strong family values, he couldn’t see the moral obligation he faced. However Chris does enlighten Joe to the moral obligations of his actions, through the reading of Larry’s letter and this is shown when Joe says “sure, he was my son. But I think to him they were all my sons.”
Jim also make an accurate perception of Chris and everyman in general when he refers to them having “the star of one’s honesty”, meaning a symbol of their morals and principles. Chris had gone to “watch his star go out” as it had been violated by his belief of his father’s innocence and the extremity of the consequences of Joe’s actions. I feel that Joe’s “star” may not have gone out until the end of act three, as his morals and principles were family related and not related to his obligation towards others therefore it may have occurred when he learns Larry’s death was a result of his moral failures.
Miller released this play in 1947, two years after the war ended and with good reason. I feel he designed it to provoke thought about war profiteering and the moral obligations of this and this would have been very badly received during war time as it would have been still occurring. He said of theatre that it “is not a disconnected entertainment… it is where a collective mass of people… is able to project its terrors and its hope to symbolise them” and this shows that he wanted to provoke thought and display his views and this is true with this play as it can be seen to criticise the “American Dream” and also his other plays, such as “The Crucible” which displays Miller’s views of “McCarthyism” in 1950’s America.
I think Miller does in some ways criticise the “American Dream” through Chris and the guilt he feels towards the new luxuries he is experiencing and perhaps Miller feels that it wasn’t necessary to be so extravagant so soon after a time of such great loss and deprivation, and perhaps a little inconsiderate, as in the play it is seen as a discomfort to Chris. I feel he also greatly criticises war profiteers and displays this through his creative persecution of Joe, which is drawn out and in a way he is tortured by Miller as his world slowly crumbles around him as he learns of his first son’s suicide resulting from his actions and then his remaining son’s shame of all that he has worked for. I think Miller criticises the American way of life in general as he picks up on their ability to bury their head in the sand and carry on with things (in a sense “living in the usual darkness”) just as they seem to be ignorant of war profiteering, and this is shown by the whole neighbourhood in this play as they know of Joe’s guilt yet act as if nothing has happened and Chris, like Miller doesn’t see how this can be left to occur. The idea of “being better” is carried on throughout the play and I feel that this is a message Miller was wanting to pass on, that you can be better, morally and ethically and Joe and Jim are used as examples of this and he uses Chris to project this.
I think that Miller based the character of Chris on himself and his moral standings, as he is the character used to display his main messages and viewpoints, especially those of moral obligations one should feel towards society.
The Keller’s live in an outer-city suburb in a house that “would have cost perhaps fifteen thousand in the early twenties”. Another indication of this is when Joe throws out the vegetables mistaking them for garbage, as this level of waste would not even be consider during the war and perhaps for some time after, but Joe is indifferent, shown when he says “I can afford another bag of potatoes”. The Keller’s also have a maid, another sign of wealth. Also when Chris tells Joe of his marriage plans he decides to take him out for dinner, where there will be ”big time tonight” with “steak” and “champagne” which would have still been not easily affordable luxuries. This can suggest that by the way Joe is splashing his money about that he is not ashamed of his wealth and sees no wrong in what he has done as he has worked hard to earn it for himself ans his family.
Joe Keller represents everyman, he is a “man among men” with strong family values (“A father is a father”). He runs a successful business that engineered aeroplane parts throughout the war, and knowingly sent out parts with defects so not to lose profit, his denial of these actions led to Steve Deever, Ann and George’s father being imprisoned. Joe feels he did nothing wrong and shows very little guilt throughout the play, which he covers up by putting on a façade and is perhaps why he can spend his money so unashamedly. He shows recognition of his actions when he says to Chris “I’m a business man… a hundred and twenty cylinder heads cracked, you’re out of business… you lay forty years into a business and they knock you out in five minutes…when would I have had another chance to make something for you?” and he justifies his actions as he wanted to create a future for Chris ( “I want you to use what a made for you… without shame”) and it is possible for him to do this as Chris is innocent of Joe’s guilt.
Larry and Chris especially are the soldiers who fought in the war for
When Chris enlightens Ann with his thoughts, she reassure him by saying “there’s nothing wrong with your money… you should be proud” and this perhaps can help him believe in his fathers innocence which he was starting to doubt as she obviously believes in it, and also it can suggest that she also has strong family values as she says he should “be proud” of his father and what he did for the war, however Ann doesn’t know the extent of what happened and didn’t experience the war first hand therefore this is why she might say this. However her brother George, Joe’s nemesis tells her later “everything they have has blood on it” which can suggest that he also takes the view of Chris that making money from war is a very wrong thing to do as it was a serious event that took millions of lives, and not an opportunity to make a fast buck.
Sue Bayliss, the Keller’s neighbour understands that the world is run by money and that to be considered successful you have to have money and thus live the “American Dream“, shown when she tells Ann “Jim’s a successful doctor…like to do medical research… pays twenty five dollars a week… you’ve got to give up your life to go into it” which she then says it is “Chris’s fault” as “he makes people want to be better than its possible to be”. Sue feels Jim should sacrifice his dream to provide a comfortable life for his family as they should be his main priority. Jim acknowledges this in act three when he says that he lives “in the usual darkness” and “it’s hard to remember the kind of man I wanted to be. I’m a good husband” which shows he feels his desire to be better has been lost and he’s settled for being a good provider for his family and pleasing his wife. The “usual darkness” he mentions I feel is the ignorance of the world around him and his moral obligation to that.
A main theme of Miller’s play is everyman’s “universe of obligation”, or their responsibility towards not just those close to them but those all around them, a connection to the world. This can relate back to the title of the play “All My Sons” meaning not just the fathers own sons, but all the sons of the world and their responsibility for one another.
Joe is a man of conflicting morals: his love and responsibility of his family outweighs his love and responsibility for the rest of mankind. In a sense he ignores his “universe of obligation” as his provider role takes priority. Miller says of Joe that “ his trouble is not that he can’t tell right from wrong but that his cast of mind cannot admit that he, personally, has any viable connection with his world”,. Therefore I think that Joe knows what he did was wrong, yet he feels he had the right sentiment and that was to keep his family going and provide the best life possible for them, he did not think of the others who would be flying the planes, who would die and their families.
Chris has a very strong sense of “universal obligation“, which I think came from his experience as a company commander in the war, as when he says “They didn’t die; they killed themselves for each other… one new thing was made. A kind of - responsibility. Man for man.” This can show that he has realised that during the war men showed very high levels of responsibility for each other, men they’d never met, men they didn’t know and that was who they were fighting for and he regards this very highly morally. He then says of his new life that “when you drive that car you’ve got to know that it came out of the love a man can have for a man, you’ve got to be a little better because of that” and this can suggest that he feels humbled by what these men have done to create the better life that they are living now and without them this wouldn’t have been possible.
Tension between Chris and Joe comes to a head in act three, after the revelation of what Joe has done and Larry’s Death. Chris tells Joe “you can be better.. you can know there’s a universe of people outside and you’re responsible to it” and I feel this is when Chris realises Joe has no sense of responsibility to the world, just to his family and he in a sense preaches to his father. For Joe I feel he is totally ashamed by this as he feels everything he did he did for Chris, his only son (“its all for you Chris, the whole shootin‘ match is for you“), yet Chris is disgusted by this and this is the root of Joe’s demise as he was blinded by his strong family values, he couldn’t see the moral obligation he faced. However Chris does enlighten Joe to the moral obligations of his actions, through the reading of Larry’s letter and this is shown when Joe says “sure, he was my son. But I think to him they were all my sons.”
Jim also make an accurate perception of Chris and everyman in general when he refers to them having “the star of one’s honesty”, meaning a symbol of their morals and principles. Chris had gone to “watch his star go out” as it had been violated by his belief of his father’s innocence and the extremity of the consequences of Joe’s actions. I feel that Joe’s “star” may not have gone out until the end of act three, as his morals and principles were family related and not related to his obligation towards others therefore it may have occurred when he learns Larry’s death was a result of his moral failures.
Miller released this play in 1947, two years after the war ended and with good reason. I feel he designed it to provoke thought about war profiteering and the moral obligations of this and this would have been very badly received during war time as it would have been still occurring. He said of theatre that it “is not a disconnected entertainment… it is where a collective mass of people… is able to project its terrors and its hope to symbolise them” and this shows that he wanted to provoke thought and display his views and this is true with this play as it can be seen to criticise the “American Dream” and also his other plays, such as “The Crucible” which displays Miller’s views of “McCarthyism” in 1950’s America.
I think Miller does in some ways criticise the “American Dream” through Chris and the guilt he feels towards the new luxuries he is experiencing and perhaps Miller feels that it wasn’t necessary to be so extravagant so soon after a time of such great loss and deprivation, and perhaps a little inconsiderate, as in the play it is seen as a discomfort to Chris. I feel he also greatly criticises war profiteers and displays this through his creative persecution of Joe, which is drawn out and in a way he is tortured by Miller as his world slowly crumbles around him as he learns of his first son’s suicide resulting from his actions and then his remaining son’s shame of all that he has worked for. I think Miller criticises the American way of life in general as he picks up on their ability to bury their head in the sand and carry on with things (in a sense “living in the usual darkness”) just as they seem to be ignorant of war profiteering, and this is shown by the whole neighbourhood in this play as they know of Joe’s guilt yet act as if nothing has happened and Chris, like Miller doesn’t see how this can be left to occur. The idea of “being better” is carried on throughout the play and I feel that this is a message Miller was wanting to pass on, that you can be better, morally and ethically and Joe and Jim are used as examples of this and he uses Chris to project this.
I think that Miller based the character of Chris on himself and his moral standings, as he is the character used to display his main messages and viewpoints, especially those of moral obligations one should feel towards society.
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