All My Sons (Magill’s Survey of American Literature, Revised Edition)
At a glance:
- Author: Arthur Miller
- First Published: 1947
- Type of Work: Play
- Genres: Naturalistic literature, Drama, Psychological drama
- Subjects: Values, Family or family life, United States or Americans, Parents and children, Pragmatism, Suicide, 1940’s, Guilt, Yards or backyards, Fathers, Veterans, Ethics, Success or failure, Idealism, Factory management
- Locales: New York, NY, East (U.S.)
All My Sons is a realistic drama with tragic overtones. The play is tightly structured. It takes place in a single day and a single place. Following the tradition of playwright Henrik Ibsen, Miller slowly unravels past events to reveal a moral wrong or sinister crime. Joe Keller is a prosperous manufacturer enjoying the fruits of his wealth. He is a jovial man with a loyal wife, Kate, and a devoted son, Chris, who will inherit his father's business. Miller said that he started the first scenes slowly, without much action, but he plants unmistakable hints of menace early in the...
[The entire page is 936 words long]
Join eNotes
Over 3,500 study guides, question and answer forums, literature criticism, reference content, and much more!
Navigate
See Also
