Essay
All My Sons ALevel Essay
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- CIE
This is an A grade A level essay for the drama 'All My Sons' written by Arthur Miller.
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All My SonsThis passage is the very last scene in Millers satirical tragedy ‘All My Sons’, and at this point in the
play, Larry’s letter is revealed, which uncovers how and why he died. The audience, at the same time
as the characters on stage, are made aware that Larry, the youngest of the sons, killed himself out of
shame for the war crime that his father Joe committed. This scene is of incredible dramatic
significance in the play, and Miller creates a powerful ending through this shared revelation of the
letter, which is brought to light only at the very end. Miller also uses this final scene to finally expose
the key dramatic significance of the debate that circles the play, ‘to whom do we owe the greater
responsibility, ourselves, our family or our society’, Chris’ final dramatic statement about the
“universe”, is of key importance, as he represents Miller’s didactic mouthpiece in the play. Miller
also presents this powerful tragic ending though the final cathartic moment in which a form of
‘order’ is returned to the world, in which the guilty Joe has finally been punished.
At the beginning of the passage, Miller builds dramatic tension in this final scene through the
dramatic presentation of the letter. The letter is passed from Annie, to Kate, and then to Chris, this
symbol of dramatic power on stage important in the revelation of its content. This is evident when
“Anne goes quickly to mother”, who “takes the letter from her and starts for Chris”. The symbolic
importance of print and the letter in the tragedy, is one that constantly reaffirmes the different
realties which the characters exist within the play. At the beginning of the play the newspapers
confirmed Kate’s alternate reality in which soldiers are “washed up” in different areas of the
country, Joe’s alternate truth and reality is confirmed by the “court letter” which he “waves” as he
walks down the street. But here, Larry’s letter serves as a potent symbol which shatters their
realities in which they deceive themselves and becomes a shattering symbol of truth. Miller creates
suspense in this extract though his stage directions, which continue to heighten the dramatic tension
of the scene. Chris mutters to himself after reading the letter “quietly”, almost as if he is
comprehending what he’s just read, as if the calm before the storm in which he confronts his father.
Keller then begins “pleading”, this adverb an obvious reversal of roles from the beginning of the play
which is described as “a sound man if business” here he can do nothing but plead. This
demonstrating to the audience, the once strong businessman coined “the beast” is now desperate,
and pleading with his son.
When Chris begins to read the letter, the audience are then only aware of its contents. Miller
cleverly creates suspense and tension here as although at this point, both Annie, Chris and Kate have
already read the letter, Joe is now only finally read it. The audience hear the letter being read out at
the same time as Joe, creating a connection in which they experience this tension simultaneously.
This creates a powerful moment in which the tragedy is almost come to the full circle. Chris “reads”,
“My dear Ann:..”, he then yells, “you listening?” to Joe, the power dynamic potently clear as the
power roles are reversed and the almost animalistic movements of “pursual and escape” at the end
of Act two Chris continues, as he demands Joe’s full attention. As Chris reads out the letter Miller
uses a sequence of ellipsis, the ellipsis is repeated five times in his monologue section in which he
reads the letter. The broken syntax perhaps reflective of Chris’ realisation and comprehension of the
letter is synonymous of also making sure that Joe is listening. This has dramatic impact as the
vulnerability of the characters is now whole heartedly evident. In contrast to the rest of the play in
which the characters inhabit alternate truths and realities, this moment strips the characters down
to almost an animalistic level, the façade is cracked by the letter and Miller emphasises this impact
over the characters on stage.
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