All+My+Sons

= All My Sons =

Key Characters (include a list of their key traits)
-Joe Keller--cowardly, Joe doesn't take responsibility for his actions until the very end of the play when he kills himself -Kate Keller--Kate is in denial that her son is dead and that her husband is a liar; she is very passive -Chris Keller--he is naive until he finds out what his father really did -Ann Deever--confident, attractive, she stands up for what she believes in as she shuns her "guilty" father for what he has done -George Deever--realistic, knows the truth about what happened so many years back

Setting (time and place)
-All My Sons is based on a true story, according to a newspaper in Ohio -it takes place in the aftermath of World War II

Key Symbol(s)
-Larry Keller and his action symbolizes the strength and courage of the daughter of whom the play was based on; he couldn't deal with the fact that his own father sold faulty parts and ended up killing himself. -Tree - represents Larry while his mother believed he was alive, but when the tree is struck by lightening and falls Larry's mother comes to terms with the death of her son. The tree was a sign of hope for Mrs. Keller, but when it fell she lost all hope.

Key Theme(s)
- The American Dream: Joe Keller frames his best friend and lives a lie so that his family may live a comfortable lifestyle. Despite his lack of education, Keller’s hard work epitomizes the essence of the American dream, as through his hard work he is able to provide for his family. Keller also lives in guilt for the sake of his children: he dreams of letting them live comfortable lives, and is willing to do so by questionable means. This strikes parallel to The Great Gastby, whose motives, rather than means, are questionable in his American Dream. - Responsibility: Joe Keller holds great responsibility to those around him. Unfortunately, while prioritizing the responsibility he held towards his family by dealing immorally during wartime, he forsakes his responsibility to his surrounding community. Most directly, his betrayal of Steve Deever (by letting him take the blame for shipping the army faulty airplane nose cones) transgresses the moral of taking responsibility for one’s own actions. Indirectly, Keller neglects his responsibility to his country by knowingly putting his country’s army men in danger, and he ultimately kills his own son, who flies one of the planes with faulty parts.