Notesale: Turn your study into money

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All My Sons by Arthur Miller
Joe Keller
Kate Keller
Chris Keller
Ann Deever
George Deever
Dr Jim Bayliss
Sue Bayliss
Frank Lubey
Lydia Lubey
Act One
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“outskirts of an American town” → isolation
“closely planted poplars” → idea of a blockade from society
“August of our era” → end of summer, end of easy/relaxed life
“nicely painted” → facade, untouched by horrors of war
“poplars cut off view” → memories of war fading
Keller = “a man among men” → cliche, respected by neighbours, yard treated
as their own
Jim and Keller → mundane exchange about weather, ease of lifestyle
“rather saunters in, leisurely” → highlights neighbourly atmosphere,
represents characters’ satisfaction with the present
however, lack of true privacy mirrors Kellers’ attempt to hide secret
“In my day, either you were a lawyer, or a doctor, or you worked in a shop”
→ highlights difference in age as well as values
“What’s today’s calamity?” → reveals Frank’s cynicism, humour used to
conceal anxieties
“I don’t read the news part anymore” → feelings of remorse that are yet to
surface
symbolic importance of tree → Larry’s invisible presence, no character is able
to exorcise his memory from their mind
“fruit still clinging to its branches” → perhaps reflects a mother’s undying
love for a child, all experiences tainted with Larry’s memory
storm mirrors emotional state of Mother → emotional fragility
prevalence of “she” and “her” → reluctance to discuss subject due to Mother’s
lack of acceptance of reality
“You know Larry’s not coming back and I know it” → first character to
explicitly state the truth, understands that ignorance does not protect people
“Keller simply moves away” → proxemics – first time he has moved from
central position, illustrates changing filial relationship, not as respectable as
audience first assumes
“frightened at the thought” → Keller’s capacity for deception
“Sit down, Dad” → imperative, control
multiple pauses → avoidance, hesitation
“every time I reach out for something I want, I have to pull back because other
people suffer” → frustration, repetitive situation, dissatisfaction, confidence in
his ideas




“You marry that girl and you’re pronouncing him dead” → indicates intense
loyalty and reluctance to betray Larry’s memory
“Mother would forget Larry and then we’d have a regular wedding and
everything happy” → idealist, aspirational
“[lowering his hand] I don’t understand you, do I?” → stage directions
indicate a sense of acceptance
“uncontrolled aspirations”, “overwhelming capacity love” → woman of
intense, exaggerated emotions, magnitude of presence
“The wind blew it down” → Chris’ rationality contrasts to Mother’s
superstitious tendencies: “there are meanings in such things”
“accusing”, “critically”, “warning” → holds an authority that is unexpected
considering intensity of grief, more perceptive than first assumed
referred to as ‘Mother’ instead of Kate → strong, matriarchal figure
“if he’s not coming back, then I’ll kill myself” → inability to accept truth,
direct, volatile
“I want you to stop that jail business!” → overreaction, imperative,
exclamation
“moving about clasping her hands” → agitation is apparent, physiological
response
“What have I got to hide?” → is there something to hide?
“the poplars got thick, didn’t they?” → more to hide
“Why’d they take our hammock away?” → symbolic of relaxed past
“Why don’t you both choke?” → hiding vulnerability through humour
gradual revelations, fragments of information about past revealed
“he’s a decent man after all is said and done” → reassuring herself
stichomythia → pace
“delicately”, “kindly” → Ann is tentative, cautious
Mother’s imperatives → takes complete control
“There are just a few things you don’t know” → ominous, places audience in
situation
“That’s why there’s God” → only retains hope/faith
“that morning I couldn’t raise my head off the pillow” → signs, superstition,
irrational, separates her from other characters
“a respected man again; bigger than ever” → no remorse, high perception of
himself, contrast of arrogance and tragedy, material success obliterates
feelings of guilt
“He murdered twenty-one pilots” → difference between Chris and Keller,
understands that actions have consequences, sense of social responsibility,
blatant, honest, fractures within Keller family
“That’s a mistake, but it ain’t murder” → justification, high demand and
pressure lead to lack of acceptance of responsibility
“He shoulda cried all night” → reiterates how guilty Keller should feel
“there’s blood on it” → Chris’ values entirely different to Keller’s (foil),
heightens morality
“With misgivings” → atmosphere changing, unease developing
“With great force, moving about” → mood becoming more volatile
“slamming screen door violently”, “stiffly, staring, seeing” → contrast in
physicality mirrors differing views, anger placed next to grief

Act Two
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“Chris is discovered sawing the broken-off tree” → desire to overcome issue
of Larry and pursue own interests, realises that grief cannot be endless
Ann “hesitantly touches broken top in the hush of her thoughts” → moment of
longing for past, present interrupted by memory of Larry
“Chris makes people want to be better than it’s possible to be”, “Is that bad?”
→ Ann is wary of Sue’s incessant questioning, loyalty to Chris
Sue never allows Ann to finish sentence → controlling nature
“moving towards her” → proxemics reflect hostility and control
refers to Kellers as “Holy Family” → facade, importance of appearances in
community
“Everybody knows Joe pulled a fast one to get out of jail” → revelation, truth
suddenly made apparent
“phoney idealism” → dismissive of Chris’ nature
exchange between Chris, Keller and Ann → intermittent laughter dispels
tension
“The trees got thick didn’t they?” → George’s observation links to exposition,
idea of concealment, passage of time
“Why, afraid you’ll forget him?” → indication of George’s bitterness
“surging up at him” → stage directions combined with amount of dialogue
reflects control
“cups his face in her hands”, “touches his hair” → extremely tactile, hostility
dissipates from atmosphere, George’s reversion to childhood before tragedy
“don’t try for medals” = don’t put yourself at risk
“None of us changed, Georgie
...
You say it long enough it doesn’t mean
anything” → highlights how Keller’s actions were not worth it, suggestion
immorality will never be worth it
“All night in that room” → visual representation of Ann being confined by her
thoughts
“you ought to make it clear to him that you know you did a terrible thing” →
Miller’s philosophy, importance of showing remorse and accepting
responsibility, Keller = embodiment of opposite
“There’s nothin’ he could do that I wouldn’t forgive” → again highlights
differing values, Keller places family above actions whereas Chris puts
morality first
“for both of you, that’s all I ever lived for” → obsession with money stems
from familial loyalty, results in tragic lack of compassion for needs of wider
society
“I could jail him, if I were human anymore” → dehumanisation of his own
father, familial obligation greatly contrasts to Keller’s
“I’m practical now

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