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All My Sons by Arthur Miller

Arthur Asher Miller was born in 1915 in Harlem, New York. His father, Isidore, owned a

successful coat manufacturing business, and his mother, Augusta, was an educator. The

financial condition of the Miller family was excellent until the Wall Street Crash of 1929.

The Wall Street Crash affected their life deeply; they lost the coat manufacturing business

and moved to Brooklyn; after that, he worked for tuition to attend the University of Michigan

and began to write plays.” "The Death of a Salesman” is his most known play, and “The

Crucible”, and” All My Sons” are also some of his essential plays. He emphasizes the social,

political, and moral problems of his age. Unfortunately, he died in 2005, but his plays still

carry essential messages. Therefore, it can be said that he was a playwright ahead of time.(1)

All My Sons, Arthur Miller's first commercially successful play, opened at the Coronet

Theatre in New York on January 29, 1947. (Alaeddin) The play is a tragedy and takes place

after World War II; The play aimed to write down the effects of World War II on the

American people and their life; the impacts of war were enormous. Apart from the war, other

events took place in America during this time. Industries flourished, and the U.S entered the

Reconstruction period. Those included changes in the lifestyle of the American people,

among other things. After the prosperity associated with the war was tapered off, the

American economy experienced inflation rates(2). The significant change experienced by the
author during his high school years, his father's bankruptcy, was also influential in the idea

development process of this play. All My Sons is a story of creation and destruction, the

revelation of a playwright who believed building a better world was the only answer to the

global ordeal of war (Titone). Arthur Miller's 'All My Sons explores the moral challenges

and effects of individual choices, societal norms, and the pursuit of the American Dream in

postwar America, shedding light on themes of guilt, responsibility, and the damaging impact

of deception on personal relationships and collective ethics and also makes criticism on

collapsed American dream.

When it comes to the literariness of the play, the playwright also used literary devices as

message carriers. For instance, the use of language is simple and clear because it is a story of

ordinary Americans. To emphasize mediocrity, the use of simple language was preferred. In

addition, the setting in the backyard of the Keller family also reflects daily life. They live in a

suburb in Ohio; the language used is slang from time to time in a way that supports this.

When the play is examined, the moral emphasis stands out, individual responsibility towards

society and concrete between money and ethics.It can be exemplified by Joe Keller, a self-

made businessperson; who introduced one view of the American Dream. Joe associates the

American Dream with pursuing personal gain and economic prosperity. He considers

monetary prosperity the ultimate measure of achievement, having established his firm from

the bottom up. For Joe, the American Dream involves obtaining fortune and creating a

comfortable living for himself and his family. His constant focus on financial wealth reflects

his firm belief that realizing the American Dream means prioritizing personal gain over

everything else. One of the earliest formal definitions of the American Dream, it is “that

dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with

opportunity for each according to ability or achievement.… It is not a dream of motor cars

and high wages merely, but a dream of social order in which each man and each woman shall
be able to attain the fullest stature of which they are innately capable and be recognized by

others for what they are, regardless of the fortuitous circumstances of birth or position”

(Adams, 214–15). The American Dream functions as an indicator that achieving the goal of

fulfillment in America entails more than just financial gain; it is also about achieving a

person's highest potential to create an equal and fair society. However, Joe Keller became

blinded by the idea of reaching the American Dream. The revealing of Joe's previous actions

and moral collapse in "All My Sons'' is a turning point that exposes the other side of his

selfish desires. A quote from act three can exemplify it “Who worked for nothin’ in that war?

Did they ship a gun or a truck outa Detroit before they got their price? Is that clean? It’s

dollars and cents, nickels and dimes; war and peace, it’s nickels and dimes, what’s clean?

“( Act 3) This remark demonstrates Joe's irresponsibility towards his family and society. He

values the appearance of affluence and achievement over moral principles and the welfare of

people. This superficial mentality eventually leads to ethical dilemmas. Following World

War II, Joe purposely gave cracked-engine heads, leading to the deaths of soldiers. The

discovery demonstrates how far Joe was willing to put his financial success before the lives

of individuals. His morals collapsed since he took a judgment that directly resulted in the

death of soldiers for wealth and personal advantage. This discovery breaks down Joe's life

and throws into doubt the truthfulness of his apparent success. When Joe’s past actions are

revealed in the play, he carries all the burden of guilt and remorse. The discovery of the

intentional supply of defective airplane components during the war shows Joe’s lack of

virtue.---- It becomes evident that he valued money over soldiers' lives, resulting in their

tragic deaths. The truth dissolves Joe's idealized persona that he shows people including his

family, and reveals the true nature of his moral bankruptcy. In summary, the negative

consequences of putting personal gain above moral duty in "All My Sons'' emphasize the

possible damage to relationships, sorrow, and larger social implications when individuals
disregard their ethical obligations for selfish gain.--- On the other hand, his son Chris is an

idealist. He rejects the idea of materialism, that this world runs on, and wants to find his life

purpose. His moral judgments and standards are higher than his father, Joe.” I was dying

every day , and you were killing my boys, and you did it for me? What the do you think I

was thinking of, the goddam business? Is that as far as your mind can see, the business? What

is that, the world - the business? What the hell do you mean, you did it for me? Don’t you

have a country? Don’t you live in this world? What the hell are you?” (Act 2,116) The

conflict between Chris and Joe arises from their conflicting values and principles. While

Chris seeks truth, justice, and moral responsibility, Joe is more concerned with personal gain

and avoiding the consequences of his actions. Chris' severe emotional sorrow and inner

conflict are reflected in this remark. He has carried the burden of his military experiences and

observed loss, and questioned his father’s motivation and priority. This collusion breaks

down the trust that exists between father and son and emphasizes the permanent damage done

to family relationships.

In the end, Arthur Miller's play "All My Sons" digs into the divisive topics of moral duty,

monetary gain, and the repercussions of failing to uphold ethical commitments, explores the

sharp contrast between materialism and idealism by the characters of Joe Keller and Chris

Keller, highlighting the devastating nature of putting selfish wealth over moral obligation.The

pursuit of the American Dream, which equates success with financial wealth, blinds Joe

Keller to the ethical repercussions of his actions. The exposure of his immoral actions reveals

his actual nature and destroys the façade he portrays to the world, eventually leading to the

loss of trust and the dissolution of familial relationships.Arthur Miller's "All My Sons"

remains a significant literary work that addresses timeless themes, Miller's ability to convey

the intricacies of human nature and societal challenges further establishes him as a playwright

ahead of his time.

Bibliography

1- “Arthur Miller Biography.” The Biography.com Website, 2 Apr. 2014,

www.biography.com/authors-writers/arthur-miller.

2- Alaeddin, Nahvi. “‘All My Sons’- The Tragic Conflict Between Family Loyalties and

Social Responsibilities.” Dergipark, 5 May 2015, https://dergipark.org.tr/tr/download/article-

file/713822

3- "Historical Context of “All My Sons” by Arthur Miller." IvyPanda, 17 June 2022,

https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-social-context-of-all-my-sons-play-by-arthur-miller/

4- Titone, Nora. “The Genesis of All My Sons.” courttheatre.org, 13 Jan. 2018,

https://www.courttheatre.org/about/blog/the-genesis-of-all-my-sons/

5- Adams, James Truslow. 1931. The Epic of America. Boston: Little, Brown.

Bibliography