All My Sons Opening discussion questions
1. This type of dramatic writing is classified as a modern morality play.
So, what are morals, and what is morality? Who decides or determines moral
codes?
2. Is morality influenced by time and events? Support responses with examples or
evidence.
3. Can morality degenerate easily? What factors contribute to moral decay or
degenerative morality?
4. How would you rate the state of the morality of the youth if America today using
a scale of 1-10? Give examples for support of your opinion.
5. This play has also been classified as an American tragedy. What are the typical
Greek tragic elements found in the play? What are atypical elements, the
American elements of this tragedy?
6. Music, art, and drama (whether on television, movie screen, or theater) have often
been blamed for a nation’s morality. How can the arts influence values and
morality? Can you provide any specific plays, television shows, films, songs, or
art, which have significantly altered values of any nation?
Outline of events
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Autumn, 1943: Joe allows Steve to supply the USAAF with faulty cylinder heads
Late autumn, 1943: Twenty-one planes crash; Joe and Steve arrested
November 25, 1943: Larry (having read in newspaper about father) crashes plane
deliberately off coast of China
1944?: Joe makes successful appeal; Steve remains in prison
1945: Chris Keller starts to write to Ann Deever
August, 1947: Ann visits Chris; George (unknown to Ann) visits Steve
Saturday ? August, 1947: Larry's memorial blown down
Sunday ? August, 1947: Opening of the play
The Morality Play or Modern Tragedy
The morality play usually has a tragic ending. What drives the play’s action is the
exploration of some social problem, like alcoholism or addiction; the characters are used
as examples of the general problem. Frequently, the playwright views the problem and its
solution in a way that defies or rejects the conventional view. Henrik Ibsen, a Norwegian
playwright who helped to revive tragedy, wrote morality plays. A Doll's House, for
example, shows the exploitation and denigration of middle class women by society and in
marriage.
Arthur Miller, an American playwright, admired Ibsen and the genre of modern
tragedy. Miller sought to use the drama of tragedy to capture the stories, characters,
conflicts, and societies that had to adjust to the changes of a post-war America. In his
play, All My Sons, this modern tragedy shows through its characters the desperate need
for a return to morality on the American home front so altered by changes of war. Unlike
Greek tragic heroes and tragedies, modern American drama reflects the lives of the
“average Joe”, the everyman. He
Greek Tragedy
Four Characteristics of a Tragic Hero
(According to Aristotle’s Poetics)
1. POSITION.
The hero is royal or noble with great power, usually a king.
He is a good, respected man who acts out of good intentions. He
has much to lose.
2. TRAGIC FLAW
(hamartia). In spite of his good intentions, the hero makes
a tragic error which causes his reversal. The error usually stems
from a character flaw, often hubris, excessive pride.
3. REVERSAL
(catastrophe). Because of his tragic error, the hero suffers
a downfall from his happy, envied position to suffering and misery.
4. RECOGNITION
(catharsis). The hero realizes that his own flaw or error has
caused his reversal. This recognition always occurs too late for the
hero to prevent or escape his reversal.
All My Sons
Act I Study Questions
1. What is revealed about the play’s setting even before the play begins?
Specifically, what has happened during the night?
2. Why was the tree planted? How is the tree an important symbol for the family?
How might its damage be interpreted?
3. How does characterization in drama differ from characterization in other forms
of literature?
4. In what ways is Joe Keller characterized indirectly? Directly?
5. What conflicts are introduced in Act I?
a. Within the family?
b. With individuals?
c. Within the community/neighborhood?
6. Explain how the two characters, Jim and Frank, serve as foils to each other.
7. How do the two wives of the neighbors serve as foils?
8. Children are very often symbols of innocence, usually incredibly honest. An
important child has become fascinated with Joe Keller, as have many of the
children whom Joe has deputized with cereal sheriff badges. Who is this child?
How is he characterized? How and/or why is Kate concerned about Joe’s
involvement with the children?
9. Dramatic irony occurs when the reader or audience knows something, which
other characters do not. Provide at least one example of dramatic irony from Act
I. Explain the purpose and/or effect of this dramatic irony.
10. How has Chris Keller been affected by the war?
11. Explain the unfortunate situation of Ann Deever as far as her involvement and/or
future with the Keller Family?
All My Sons
Act II Study Questions
1. How does the tone of the play change with the arrival of George Deever?
2. How do Joe’s concerns about the arrival of George differ from Kate’s reaction
3. What does George tell Chris about why he disbelieved his own father?
4. What request does Sue Baylis make of Ann Deeevr? Why does she make this
request?
5. Provide three examples and/or references to Chris as a model of virtue.
6. What “slip” of the tongue does Kate make? How does her error expose Joe’s
guilt?
7. How does Joe try to justify and/or explain his reaction to the faulty shipment?
8. How does Chris react, and why does he react so strongly?
All My Sons
Act III Study Questions
1. What does Jim mean when he tries to console Kate and explain Chris by saying
“it takes a certain talent for …lying. You have, and I do. But not him.”
2. What does Jim mean when he describes to Kate that now he lives in “the usual
darkness”?
3. What do Kate and Joe argue about after Chris has left? What does Kate
encourage Joe to do? Why does Joe resist? Why does Joe refuse to accept
blame?
4. What does Joe believe is more important than loyalty to country?
5. What does Ann share with Kate that confirms Larry’s death? What is Ann’s
motive for sharing this information with Kate?
6. When Chris returns, why does he argue with Joe? How does Joe continue to try
and justify his profit form the war?
7. In a sense, Larry Keller speaks as if from the dead through his letter to Ann. Why
does Larry’s letter change Joe forcing him to acknowledge responsibility as
shown when Joe delivers the thematic lines as his final lines, “Sure he was my
son. But I think to him they were all my sons. And I guess they were; I guess
they were…”?