The Characters in All My Sons by Arthur Miller

The Characters in All My Sons by Arthur Miller Arthur Millers drama All My Sons asks a tough question: How far should a man go to secure his familys well-being? The play delves into deeply moral issues regarding our obligations to our fellow man. Divided into three acts, the story unfolds in the following manner: Act One: The friendly Keller household is introduced.Act Two: The truth about Joe Keller is revealed.Act Three: After facing the truth, the characters make final choices. Like other works by Arthur Miller, All My Sons is a critique of an overzealously capitalistic society. It shows what happens when humans are ruled by greed. It demonstrates how self-denial cannot last forever. And it is Arthur Millers characters who bring these themes to life. Joe Keller Joe seems like the traditional, amiable 1940s father figure. Throughout the play, Joe presents himself as a man who deeply loves his family but also has great pride in his business. Joe Keller has been running a successful factory for decades. During World War II, his business partner and neighbor, Steve Deever noticed some faulty airplane parts about to be shipped for use by the U.S. military. Steve says that he contacted Joe who ordered that shipment, but Joe denies this, saying that he was home sick that day. By the plays end, the audience discovers the dark secret Joe has been concealing: Joe decided to send the parts through because he was afraid that admitting the companys mistake would destroy his business and his familys financial stability. He allowed the sale of faulty airplane parts to be shipped to the frontline, resulting in the death of twenty-one pilots. After the cause of the deaths was discovered, both Steve and Joe were arrested. Claiming his innocence, Joe was exon erated and released and the entire blame shifted to Steve who remains in jail. Like many other characters within the play, Joe is capable of living in denial. It is not until the plays conclusion that he ultimately faces his own guilty conscience - and then he chooses to destroy himself rather than deal with the consequences of his actions. Larry Keller Larry was Joes oldest son. The audience does not learn too many details about Larry; the character dies during the war, and the audience never meets him - no flashbacks, no dream sequences. However, we do hear his final letter to his girlfriend. In the letter, he reveals his feeling of disgust and disappointment towards his father. The content and tone of the letter suggest that perhaps Larrys death was due to combat. Perhaps life was no longer worth living because of the shame and anger he felt. Kate Keller A devoted mother, Kate still holds on to the possibility that her son Larry is alive. She believes that one day they will receive word that Larry was only wounded, perhaps in a coma, unidentified. Basically, she is waiting for a miracle to arrive. But theres something else about her character. She holds onto the belief that her son lives because if he perished during the war, then (she believes) her husband is responsible for her sons death. Chris Keller In many ways, Chris is the most admirable character in the play. He is a former World War II soldier, so he knows firsthand what it was like to face death. Unlike his brother, and the many men who died (some of them because of Joe Kellers faulty airplane parts), he managed to survive. He plans to marry his late brothers former girlfriend, Ann Deever. Yet, he is very respectful about his brothers memory, as well as the conflicting feelings of his fiancà ©. He also has come to terms with the death of his brother and hopes that his mother will soon be able to peacefully accept the sad truth. Finally, Chris, like so many other young men, idealizes his father. His strong love for his father makes the revelation of Joes guilt all the more heart-wrenching. Ann Deever As mentioned above, Ann is in an emotionally fragile situation. Her boyfriend Larry was missing in action during the war. For months she hoped that he had survived. Gradually, she came to terms with Larrys death, eventually finding renewal and love in Larrys younger brother, Chris. However, since Kate (Larrys seriously-in-denial Mom) believes that her eldest son is still alive, she is mortified when she discovers that Ann and Chris plan to marry. On top of all this tragedy/romance material, Ann also laments the disgrace of her father (Steve Deever), whom she believes is the sole criminal, guilty of selling faulty parts to the military. (Thus, theres great dramatic tension, as the audience waits to see how Ann will react when she discovers the truth: Steve isnt the only guilty one. Joe Keller is guilty too!) George Deever Like many of the other characters, George (brother of Ann, son of Steve) believed that his father was guilty. However, after finally visiting in father in prison, he now believes that Keller was in fact primarily responsible for the death of the pilots and that his father Steve Deever should not be the only one in jail. George also served during World War II, thus giving him a greater stake in the drama, for he is not only seeking justice for his family, but for his fellow soldiers.