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Differing attitudes to social responsibilty through Joe and Chris Keller (A. Miller's - page 6
Keywords: social responsibility arthur miller all my sons world war two ii 2 drama chris joe keller
By exploiit on 19/06/2010
Level: GCSE Key Stage 4 (Years 10-11)
Page Number: 6 of 9 pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9be a solution to what has happened, he has actually left his other son with the pressure and guilt of his cowardly suicide.
However, Joe Keller’s lack of social responsibility is not left unbalanced in All My Sons. Keller’s own son is put forward as a direct contrast to himself. Chris Keller is used by Miller to embody social responsibility, and it is intended that the audience see the significance of acting conscientiously to one’s society through his character.
Much like his father, Chris Keller holds a great loyalty to his family. This is evident when we see that he desperately wishes to reveal the truth to his mother in regards to his brother – “It’s time she realized that nobody believes Larry is alive any more”. He is aware that his mother’s disbelief of Larry’s death is the cause of her restlessness, and is determined to put her mind at ease with the truth. Chris’ decision to clear away Larry’s tree after it has blown down is another example of how he feels a duty to his family. This is his effort at clearing away the foul feelings spawned from the controversy of his brother’s death. Chris’ family values are probably most apparent through his deep admiration for his father. Referring to Keller as “Joe McGuts” lets Miller’s audience see that Chris perceives him as a dauntless and esteemed character, and we become fully aware of his respect for Joe.
At the beginning of the play, Chris is at hand as an optimist. He is conscious of the world around him and has a fairly romantic view of it – “I want it beautiful”. Miller lends him a sense of idealism that leads to both benefit and detriment in his character. We know that he plans to augment life for himself and his future family by moving to New York and building “something I can give myself to”. We’re also aware of his quest for social awareness, knowing that he likes to keep “abreast of [his] ignorance” by reading the news section of Sunday paper. Other characters suggest that this romanticism is simply impractical, believing that Chris “makes people want to be better than it’s possible to be”. It also appears to render him impressionable to an excessive degree. We see him building Joe up to be a hero, unaware of the irony that the audience is aware of. This, of course,
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