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Introduction

I am writing a thesis proposal to do research on “Larry Keller as An Unforeseen Victim in All

My Sons” by Arthur Asher Miller. According to Oxford Dictionary, the term 'Victim' as , "A

person who has been attacked, injured or killed as a result of the crime, a disease, an accident,

etc" (1716). It means the person who can be physically as well as mentally attacked by virtue of

certain circumstances or killed as a result. And this can be clearly seen in the play when Larry

Keller got mentally attacked because of wrongdoing of Joe Keller which was irresponsible deed

for the society and against community guidelines. Similarly, another term, 'unforeseen' in

Oxford Dictionary is defined as, "that you did not expect to happen” (1686). The death of Larry

Keller was not expected which was not known to anyone in the play. There are various

researches about this play but I found the gap to be written from the point of the character,

Larry Keller as an unforeseen victim. Miller wants to depict how Larry Keller became a perfect

victim in this play and the play itself presents the war as a inciting force of tragedy which drove

Larry Keller to lose his life as a tragic result of the play.

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Key Words: Inciting Force, Fiasco, Exonerated, American Realism

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Statement of Problems

The play, All My Sons is written by Arthur Asher Miller, highly acclaimed American

playwright, he is best known for his work, The Death of Salesman, We find social awareness,

inner lives of the character and tragedy in his works whose works mainly focuses on issue of

low class people, modern tragedy. The play All My Sons which was published in 1947

encompasses the story of a Keller family and the tragic result of Larry Keller who becomes an

unforeseen victim committing suicide himself crashing the plane on his mission by virtue of

wrongdoing acts of his father regarding faulty airplane parts.

All My Son, a modern play was written after the WWII. The psychological and physical reality

of Lerry Keller in context of USA, has been presented throughout the action of the major

character, Larry Keller in the entire play.

Many researchers have described this play drama by applying different theoretical tools. But I

found a gap on to be written on unforeseen death of Larry Keller in All My Sons.

Hence, in this research, I will explore why he committed suicide, suffer from family

irresponsibility; what were the roles of family to lead him to commit suicide; and why he was

failure to cope with the reality of modern world; to what extent, death of Lerry Keller is

unforeseen? What extent Lerry Keller is unforeseen? What kinds of predicament and

unexpected consequences against human world we get, on Keller? Why does Keller suffer from

alienation and prefer to stay far from physical world? Is Joy Keller responsible for his

lamentation and unforeseen death? How does Kate Keller believe that her son is still alive?

How does Manufacturing plant play significant role to create the scene of unforeseen death of

Larry Keller in All My Sons?

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Hypothesis

While observing Miller’s play, we can find certain factors of Larry Keller’s physical and

psychological obstacles that he undergoes. The main reason is alienation and adverse

circumstance where no tranquil and survival environment exist. Therefore, such traits

leads him to his unforeseen death.

Research Methodologies

While conducting this research, I will apply the idea of Alienation. Alienation is one of the major

features of ‘modernism’. Some varieties of alienation are seen in this drama. Father, Joe Keller who is

against the social norms and values, who runs away from the social responsibilities and breaks the

social law throughout his wrongdoing. On the other hand, waiting for the dead son of Kate Keller, who

was killed on the mission. Waiting for the dead son in the hope of his arrival someday is
meaninglessness that has no sense until the suicide note comes up at the eleventh hour. Melvin

Seeman in 1959 who talks about five different varieties of alienation: Normlessness, meaninglessness,

self estrangement, cultural estrangement and powerlessness. He argues:

A ground breaking typology of five varieties of alienation: Normlessness,

meaninglessness, self estrangement, cultural estrangement and powerlessness. His

seminal work challenged the longstanding conceptualizations of alienations as a general,

unidimensional phenomenon. The general notion of alienations saw the social world as

politically and economically organized in ways that systematically prevented individuals

from realizing their human potentials. (35)

Further more, Warren D Tenhouten, in his book alienation and effect(2017) clarifies; “Alienation

involves deniel of physical world, in large measure a consequence of religious alienation from

sexuality and an intentional sepration from the physical and natural world from the life of human

species” (35). Lerry Keller doesn’t suffer from the religious alienation nor sexuality rather his

alienation is separation from the physical and natural world as Warren says.

Through the standpoint of alienation, I am doing research on the broader area of

modernism. Alienation is key theoretical tool to theorize Miller’s play. Though the play can be

examined from different theoretical perspectives but I found the gap to be observed from the point of

alienation. Therefore, my research paper will take Melvin Seeman and Warren D Tenhouten as major

theorists to complete my dissertation.

Objective

The major purpose of conducting this research is to find out how and why people

like Lerry Keller, specially suffered from unforeseen death by virtue of wrongdoing of

their parents in American Context after WWII who forgets the duties and responsibilities

towards his society and nation just running after economics status for the position in the

society. Why such types of scenarios take place during the decades of 1940s and 50s.
Such causes creates the result like; unexpected suicides because of alienation and

frustration. It can be said that Larry is a perfect victim of in existential adverse

circumstance which takes into his unforeseen death. Keller himself suffers from his own

realizations of wrongdoing in the long run of the play and commits suicides after Larry

Keller in the family . In contracts of it, Kate is a living victim of psychological trauma of

her son who waits for her entire life until the secret letter kept by Anne is revealed at the

eleventh hour in the play. Hence, purpose of my research paper is to find out the reasons

and outcomes which are prevailed in the American Society during 1940s and 50s.

Finally, my thesis proposal concerns upon the search for unforeseen death of

major characters and the situations how the wrongdoing acts of modern people create

irresponsibility towards his family and the nation which are the major causes for the

deteriorations and path of destruction which brings the outcomes like death. In this way,

the purpose of this thesis is to study the unforeseen death of Larry Keller which also

affects the suicide of Joe Keller including lamentation of living people like Kate, Chris,

George, Anne and many more and the death of 21 soldiers.

Limitations of the Study

 I will investigate All My Sons from the alienation and lamentation point of view through

exploring the major modern themes that may characterize Larry as a modernist hero and

the drama as a whole as a modernist literary work. I will use modernism as a theoretical

framework because it is mainly a perspective that everyone is compelled to live in chaotic

world. But i found a gap to do research about the unforeseen death and its impacts of
 lamentation to other characters during the modern time of 1940s and 50s in American

Society.

Literature Review

All My Sons, this play successfully portrays an unforeseen death of 34 years young man, Larry Keller who is

psychological distracted because of his father’s wrongdoings and this leads him to be depressed and hollow

from the heart. All My Sons, a modern drama was written after WWII. The traits such as; Fragmentation,

alienation, lamentation, depression and finally death are vividly appeared in modernism and also perfectly

reflected by the characters in this drama. Regarding Modernism, different critics like Arthur Rimbaud defines,

“One must be absolutely modern”. Mina Loy states, “Die in the past, live in the future” but Ezra Pound defines, “

Literature is news that stays news”. All these concepts are associated to Modernism. More or less, Miller’s play,

All My Sons is also influenced by Modernism with its major features: alienation, lamentation and depression as it

is written in the same time of frame. Defining the term modernism with its etymological meaning, Laura Winkiel

in her book, Modernism: the Basics talks:

 The word modernism derives from the Latin modernus (modo, “just now”); it relates

to “mode,” or fashionable novelty, as well as to a break from tradition, the orthodox or

inherited way of doing things (Latham and Rogers 19). How did modernists “make it

new,” as the poet Ezra Pound termed it? To understand the formal techniques and

content of the “newness” of modernism, we need to extend our understanding of the

contexts in which modernism arose. (4)

Winkiel in the above extract briefly states the etymological meaning of the term, ‘modernism’ which

means ‘just now’ It indicates something new. Furthermore, modernism also denotes break away from

tradition and orthodox cal or dogmatic trend of writing. Ezra Pound subverted the traditional trend of

writing in poetry. In such a way, Ibsen and Miller distorted the orthodox cal way of writing dramas.

That’s why, Miller’s play, All My Sons is a modern play. In this way, modernist playwrights like: Ibsen,

Chekhov and Miller break away from traditional way of writing plays in verse and follow prosaic way

of writing. Approximately, modernism started from Second World War. War has become inspirational

source and subject matter to write about death and destruction and to reveal physical and psychological

reality of human beings. Hence, this play depicts the reality of human being in the time of Second World

War.

Inciting force behind the suicide of Larry Keller is lamentation. It can be assumed that

lamentation goes beyond alienation which ultimately results the unforeseen death of Larry Keller.

Rebecca Saunders, in her book, Lamentation and Modernity in Literature, Philosophy and Culture

giving subtitle “Lamentation establishes the event of loss” argues:

The formal and public gestures of a lamentation verify the fact of loss; by making

event as “loss” or “crisis,” the lamentation formulates inchoate and polysemic

 circumstances into loss. The lamentation thus, regulates which losses merit being

marked and mourned. (XV)

It is one of the tenth hypotheses on the role of lamentation in modernity. Establishing event of loss is

the first and foremost hypothesis. Hence, the first role of lamentation is to verify the fact of loss

creating event as crisis. Changing the merit into loss or demit is the act of getting marked and feeling

mourned. In another words, lamentation creates sound and multiple circumstances into loss and

crisis.

Tragedy Today, more than the classical time of Sophacles, Aeschules and Euripides. Unlike ancient

tragedies, modern tragedies mostly contain unforeseen death for which family itself is responsible

for its own. Tragedy occurs right vs right. It means Larry is right and so is Keller. For Joe Keller

living in 1940s capitalist society becomes responsible person without knowing the consequences just

in the name of the family. Regarding this, Arvin R. Wells also in his article, “Living and the Dead in

All My Sons” comments:

The family is the most important thing and that what is done in the name of the

family has its own justification. Yet he is not perfectly secure within his sanctuary. His

appearently thik skin has its sensitive spots: In his willingness to oppose his wife’s

unhealthy refusal to accept her son Larry’s death, in his protest against Anne deever’s

rejection of her father, in his insestances that he doesn’t believe in “Crucifying a man,”

As Susan C.W. Abbotson writes, “ Keller becomes Killer in his sons’ eyes” (Abbotson 40), Joe

Keller is responsible for Larry’s death along with the death of 21 soldiers including morbid

obsession of his own wife Kate. But while one looks through Keller’s perspective, Keller is not
completely responsible and seems right in his deeds and duties. It is because of contemporary

American society’s obligation for materialistic competition. To clarify 1940s American family and

society, Abbotson further describes:

1940s was a traumatic decade for American fathers and their families. All My Sons,

written and set in 1947, with its tale of a family torn apart by its members’ secrets and

lies, clearly exhibits the many discordances which arose within the American family at

this time. The decade began amidst the throes of destructive international conflict and

saw the of even more destructive domestic conflicts within the family itself. The

depression of the 1930s had seriously undermined the prestige of many fathers in t

development asking away from them the role of provider. (29)

Great depression of 1930s turned Americans into economically slummed. Every family, especially

parents had to face lots of risk in economic progress for their upcoming generation. And everything

had become fair in business like that of war and love. That’s why, Keller became Killer for the sake

of his own children. In fact, Keller is not killer rather a successful businessman for the demand of

contemporary society. He is innocent for the unforeseen death of own son because whatever he is

doing that is for elder son, Larry too. In such a way, except Ann, no one knows the death of Larry

until the letter is revealed. Tragedy in modern era higher in magnitude and broader in sphere moving

silently like sea but burning inside more pathetically than ancient Greek and Roman period. For

instance, death of Larry is unforeseen, obsession of Kate is insufferable, imprisonment of Steive is

unbearable, and death of 21 soldiers is mysterious.

Except Anne, Larry Keller’s death is unforeseen for everyone until the suicide note is revealed. Kate

Keller, still has strong determination for his arrival since they have faith on his life that he Larry is
alive. For instance; In Act I, while having an argument with her husband, she addresses, “He’s not

dead, so there’s no argument!” (92). Similarly, Act III, Joe Keller also believes that his son might be

alive somewhere. He says, “A man can’t be Jesus in this world” in a response to Chris’s statement,

“This is how he died now tell me where you belong” (176). But, the unforeseen death gets revealed

as soon as mother gets letter from Anne for the first time. On the other hand, the death of Larry gets

revealed inward eye of everyone in Keller’s family when Chris reads the letter aloud:

“My dear Ann: It is impossible to put down the things I feel. But I’ve got to tell you

something. Yesterday they flew in a load of papers from the States and I read about

Dad and your father being convicted. I can’t express myself. I can’t tell you how I feel

—I can’t bear to live any more. Last night I circled the base for twenty minutes before

I could bring myself in. How could he have done that? Every day three or four men

never come back and he sits back there doing business. . . . I don’t know how to tell

you what I feel . . . I can’t face anybody . . . I’m going out on a mission in a few

minutes. They’ll probably report me missing. If they do, I want you to know that you

mustn’t wait for me. I tell you, Ann, if I had him here now I could kill him. (176-7)

This letter is sent for Anne before he died specially to let her know the reason why he was ashamed

of his father’s wrongdoing that led Lerry towards the path of unforeseen death for everyone except

Anne. Letter clearly shows how he would suicide himself and the reason of it and about the outcome

in the long run and asks his beloved not to wait for him but to continue her life ahead.
Time Line and Schedule

This research will follow the given tentative chapter division:

Chapter I: Introduction          (4 week)

Chapter II: Textual analysis (4 weeks)

Chapter III: Conclusion     (4 weeks)

 Works Cited

Abbotson, Susan C. “A Contextual Study of the Causes of Paternal Conflict in Miller’s

All My Sons.” Hugarian Journal of English and American Studies, vol.11,

no. 2, Fall 2005, pp. 29-44.

Miller, Arthur. All My Sons. New York, Hudson Street: Penguin, 1947.

Saunders, Rebecca. Lamentation and Modernity in Literature and Philosophy, and

Culture. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2007.

TenHouten, Waren D. Alienation and Affect. London and New York: Routledge, 2017.

“Unforeseen” Oxford Advance Learner’s Dictionary of Current English. 8th edit.,AS

Hornby, Oxford UP, 2010.P 1686.

Wells, Arvin R. “The Living and the Dead in All My Sons.” Modern Drama, vol.7, no.1,

Spring 1964, pp.46-51.

Winkle, Laura. Modernism: the Basics, Routledge, 2017. ProQuest Ebook Central,

http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/um/detail.action?doclD=482

5114. Created from uhm on 2018-09-02 06:29:00