All My Sons

All My Sons
Reynal & Hitchcock, New York, publisher; Arthur Miller · Public domain · source
Name	All My Sons
Writer	Arthur Miller
Characters	Joe Keller, Kate Keller, Chris Keller, Ann Deever, George Deever
Setting	The Keller's backyard
Premiere	Broadway, New York City
Awards	New York Drama Critics' Circle

All My Sons. The play, written by Arthur Miller, premiered on Broadway in New York City in 1947 and was directed by Elia Kazan. It was Arthur Miller's first major success, following his earlier works such as The Man Who Had All the Luck and gaining him recognition alongside other notable playwrights like Tennessee Williams and Eugene O'Neill. The play's exploration of the American Dream and its illusions is reminiscent of works by F. Scott Fitzgerald and John Steinbeck, who also critiqued the notion of a perfect United States.

● Background

The idea for the play was inspired by a story Arthur Miller heard about a woman who had informed on her father, a manufacturer of defective airplane parts, to the United States Army Air Forces during World War II. This event sparked Arthur Miller's interest in exploring the themes of responsibility, guilt, and the consequences of one's actions, which are also present in the works of Albert Camus and Jean-Paul Sartre. The play is set in the Midwest, in a small town, and its characters are influenced by the Great Depression and the post-war era, much like the characters in the works of Ernest Hemingway and William Faulkner. The play's title, All My Sons, is a reference to the Bible, specifically King Lear and the idea of a father's responsibility towards his children, a theme also explored by Shakespeare in Hamlet and Macbeth.

● Plot

The play revolves around the Keller family, who are struggling to come to terms with the loss of their son Larry Keller, a fighter pilot who went missing in action during World War II. The family's patriarch, Joe Keller, is a successful businessman who has made his fortune by manufacturing airplane parts, but his success is built on a dark secret: he knowingly sold defective parts to the United States Army Air Forces, resulting in the deaths of 21 pilots, including Larry Keller. As the play unfolds, the truth about Joe Keller's past is revealed, and the family is forced to confront the consequences of his actions, much like the characters in Arthur Miller's other plays, such as The Crucible and A View from the Bridge, which also explore the themes of guilt and responsibility. The play's plot is also influenced by the works of Henrik Ibsen and August Strindberg, who also explored the complexities of human relationships and the consequences of one's actions.

● Characters

The play features a range of complex characters, including Joe Keller, the patriarch of the Keller family, who is struggling to come to terms with his past actions; Kate Keller, Joe's wife, who is desperate to hold on to the illusion of a perfect family; Chris Keller, the Keller's surviving son, who is torn between his loyalty to his family and his sense of morality, much like the characters in the works of Fyodor Dostoevsky and Leo Tolstoy; Ann Deever, Larry's former fiancée, who is determined to uncover the truth about Joe Keller's past; and George Deever, Ann's brother, who is a lawyer and a friend of the Keller family, and is also influenced by the works of Charles Dickens and Jane Austen. The characters in the play are also influenced by the psychological theories of Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung, who explored the complexities of the human psyche.

● Themes

The play explores a range of themes, including the American Dream and its illusions, the consequences of one's actions, and the importance of taking responsibility for one's mistakes, much like the works of Theodore Dreiser and Upton Sinclair. The play also explores the theme of guilt and how it can destroy individuals and families, a theme also present in the works of William Shakespeare and Sophocles. The play's exploration of the human condition is reminiscent of the works of Albert Camus and Jean-Paul Sartre, who also explored the complexities of human existence. The play's themes are also influenced by the philosophical ideas of Immanuel Kant and Friedrich Nietzsche, who explored the nature of morality and responsibility.

● Reception

The play was a major success when it premiered on Broadway in 1947, with Brooks Atkinson of The New York Times praising the play's "moral intensity" and Arthur Miller's "gift for dramatic structure", and was also influenced by the works of Tennessee Williams and Eugene O'Neill. The play won the New York Drama Critics' Circle award for best play and has since been performed numerous times around the world, including productions at the Royal Shakespeare Company and the National Theatre in London. The play's success can be attributed to its thought-provoking themes and complex characters, which are also present in the works of Henrik Ibsen and August Strindberg. The play has also been praised by critics such as Harold Clurman and Eric Bentley, who have noted its influence on the development of American theatre.

● Adaptations

The play has been adapted into several film and television productions, including a 1948 film directed by Irving Reis and starring Edward G. Robinson and Burt Lancaster, and a 1987 television production starring James Whitmore and Aidan Quinn. The play has also been adapted into a radio play and has been performed on BBC Radio 4 and National Public Radio. The play's adaptations are a testament to its enduring themes and complex characters, which continue to resonate with audiences around the world, much like the works of William Shakespeare and Sophocles. The play's influence can also be seen in the works of other playwrights, such as David Mamet and Sam Shepard, who have also explored the complexities of human relationships and the consequences of one's actions. Category:Plays by Arthur Miller