Referat Arthur Miller - All my Sons summary

Mr. Keller is the owner of a factory. He has lost Larry, one of his two sons in the war and his younger son Chris wants to marry Larry's girl.

The girl, Ann, can't forgive her father, who is in prison for selling cracked cylinder heads and causing 21 planes to crash, neither can her brother, George. Mr. Keller tries to explain the whole affair saying that it wasn't only their father's fault.

Then George rings up his sister and tells her that he has talked to their father. Not their father in prison but Mr. Keller is responsible for the use of the cracked cylinder heads. Joe Keller then admits knowledge of the bad parts but tells them that he had done everything for the good of the family and Chris and that he only wanted the best for his family and business. Chris is shocked, desperate, angry and wants his father to go to prison. Meanwhile Ann shows a letter to Mrs. Keller who is still convinced that her son Larry will return. In the letter, however, Larry declares his intentions to kill himself by making it look like an air - crash because he can't stand the thought that his father is responsible (to blame) for the death of so many young pilots like him.

Mr. Keller, now realising that he is also guilty of his own son's death and that the truth cannot be kept secret any longer doesn't want to stay there any longer and at the end he commits suicide.

Arthur .Miller, one of the most controversial playwrights, describes in his play "All my Sons" normal people living during difficult times. Mr. Keller is the owner of the factory and we can say that they had enough money to live but he is ambitious. He always wants the best for his family, he wants to give them a high standard of living, even if it involves doing something terrible and immoral. He thought the only way to get rich fast was though the war. Mr. Keller did not take into account that he would lose one of his own boys and that his friend and partner in business would be blamed for the cracked cylinder heads and would be sent to prison.

Finally Mr. Keller has to face the truth. He has hurt everybody in the family and understanding (realising) the consequences of his ruthless actions and that he cannot hide the truth any longer, he commits suicide.

Ambition, success and wealth are not more important than the lives of human beings.

Play poses ideas of American Dream:

Materialism, success, ambition over social values & justice.

Keller is not a real criminal - he places his family over social values and welfare of society. He admits his guilt by committing suicide.

Chris is more the idealist.