American Dream expressed in All My Sons

American Dream expressed in All My Sons Throughout literature writings of tragedy that have been important, such as the play Hamlet. Their plots were usually tragic however the themes established, such as the tragic hero, brought up ideas that were intense and that could be talked about and thought about widely. Ive noticed throughout many plays I have read in modern literature, that there are very little tragedies that have been written. I know that Arthur Miller is one of many authors that did write plays of tragedy. Miller wrote a lot of tragedies that made him very successful in receiving many awards and respect from his fellow peers. One of the many tragedies Miller wrote was the play All My Sons, that was about lies and corruption of a man and the punishment of consequential events. Miller also showed the American Dream by revealing some deep tragedies in the lives of his characters. According to the modern idea of tragedy, the characters should be responsible for their actions while facing any kind of moral problem. They create several wrong choices and results for themselves which directs them on the border of the worst kind of tragedy. The themes presented corruption and dishonesty which strengthened the terrible atmosphere that the play had. These topics in the play were developed because of the events of Mr. Keller, in which could also be well thought-out to be a terrible guy. It was hard for me to choose just on theme for this paper, so I included some themes that I felt were most important in this play. The themes in All My Sons are mostly from the idea of principles, the laws that man follows through our sense of right and wrong. One of the themes that come out from these morals is the values of an individuals existence. The topic is obvious once it is associated with the Keller family, wherever an argument between loss and morals was talked about between one another. Joe Keller was in charge of the distribution out defective cylinder heads during World War II, in which the deaths of twenty-one fighter pilots became the end result of it. Keller thought the deaths of the fighter pilots were reasonable since his business was kept by him, in which kept his family financially stable and healthy. A quote from the play is, You lay forty years into a business and the knock you out in five minutes, what could I doà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Chris, I did it for youà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦For you, a business for you (Miller, 6970)! The wife of Joe, Kate Keller, supported him for the reason that if Joe was in charge of the deaths of the fighter pilots, then he might have been guilty for his sons death who was a fighter pilot, his name Larry Keller Your brothers alive, darling, because if hes dead, your father killed him (Miller, 68). Kate was just like Joe her husband. She didnt see the full degree of his crime. She was only concerned about the family. Kellers explanation and Kates lack of knowledge of the kills were intended to help the familys foundation such as the failure of morals to be manifested throughout the people in the family. The two children of the family have their own sights on morals that are different from their parents. When the crimes of Chriss father were brought out to the light, Chris ordered a justification for his fathers actions Then you did it. To the othersà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦you killed twenty-one menà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦You killed them, your mur dered them (Miller, 68-69)! Chris was very surprised that his father had done this, and once Joe tried to give good reason for it, he was surprised and angry, For me! I was dying everyday and you were killing my boys and you did it for me?Youre not even an animal, no animal kills his own, what are you?I ought to tear the tongue out of your month (Miller, 71). Chriss outlook on morals began the argument with his father, but once Larrys outlook was revealed, this conflict rises I read about Dad..How could he have done that?if I had him here now I could kill himà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦I cant bear to live anymore (Miller, 83). Larry committed suicide because he was embarrassed of his fathers crime that he committed. The Keller familys sons had a diverse vision on morals from their parents setting a very high standard for them to live on. These conflicting observations among the children and the parents had cause Joe Keller to commit suicide. Kellers morals covered only his family, therefore when he recognized that the crime he committed was the product of his sons death, he then committed suicide by not being capable to bear the moral crime he committed. The end result of the argument resulted in suicide, creating this a tragic theme. Another theme that comes from morals is honesty. This theme is important because every character in the play is mostly involved in it. Joe Keller is one character that is important in it. His friends and family members were lied to by him when he told them that he was not involved with the making of the defected cylinder heads. The revelation and truth about his crime was discovered when his Kate didnt continue to be dishonest with people, when people thought he was sick during the war Well, sureà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦I meant except for that flu. Well, it slipped my mind; dont look at me that way (Miller, 65). It was only when Chris cross-examined Joe, that he revealed the truth about his crime. Keller lied to Herbert after informing him, that he would receive the responsibility for the defected cylinder heads. As soon as the time came to confess that he was the one that prearranged the shipment of the defected cylinder heads, he denied any association with it, which caused Herbert to go to jail. The failure within truthfulness did multiply to other characters in the play. Dr. Jim Bayliss was not warmhearted toward Chris, however, it was never mentioned to him. It was revealed to the readers because Sue, Jims wife, told Ann, Chriss fiancà ©e My husband is unhappy with Chris aroundà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Every time he has a session with Chris he feels as though hes compromising by not giving up everything for research (Miller, 44). The neighbors deceitfulness was above all directed at Joe, believing that he was accountable for the defected cylinder heads, from Sue Everybody knows Joe pulled a fast one to get out of jail(Miller, 45) to Jim Whatd Joe do, tell him?à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Dont be afraid, Kate, I know. Ive always known (Miller, 74). This dishonesty covered a lot of the people in the play, making it a tragic theme. A description of the American Dream is to grow up with tons of wealth and valuable property. But there are different interpretations of the American Dream, but that is the common gist of it. At the end of the play in All My Sons, the American Dream is portrayed awkwardly in the play, where it is described how someone lives happily even after growing up, owing lots of property and becoming prosperous financially. Joe Keller had become wealthy and fortunate in his life financially but his life turned into a tragic life as the story moves towards a final end. All characters are displayed with self-satisfaction and wealth due to prosperous business, but at the end of the play Keller shoots himself to complete the nightmare. The Americans are suffering from such tragic and panic situations which come their way in the quest of financial growth and prosperity. The people have become so selfish and ethically empty that they dont have any sense of right and wrong in their hearts while committ ing crimes with the self dishonesty and with denial approaches how they think that they are doing rightfully rather thank confessing their crimes (American Dream, 2010). The family is also portrayed as a unit within the society and it is unclear or damaged by the personal actions. But despite the fact that the play is linked with the past, but the past helps out, to form a present and a future for the individuals. It is inescapable to ignore or forget crimes. The characters speak such words or dialogues in the play which reveals the different secrets about the current history of the Keller family. Arthur Miller displays how such past secrets of life have influenced the lives of his character in the play who keep themselves in the past always (All My Sons Study Guide, 2010). In the play, Arthur Miller has defined ideal family characters which seems outwardly very good and satisfied but secretly there is nothing good, having many dark characteristics of American life, which seems very appealing in media interpretation. Arthur Millers principle was to convey the beauty of tragedy to modern literature, showing that it wasnt only intended for the upper classes of nobility. He succeeded, making a modern tragedy partly based on the form of saving the loss of the tragic hero near the end of the play for instance. All the arguments among the Keller family and with all the characters conveyed tragic themes. Those themes, in combination with the plot, had made Joe Keller a tragic hero, or in Millers case, a tragic man. This tragic man fits the play entirely with the themes linked to him. All My Sons is capable of being well thought-out to be a modern tragedy since the construction of the tragic man and how his proceedings formed some tragic themes. These events resulted in Joes death, which happens to nearly all tragic men and heroes in big misfortunes.

An Analytical Essay Explaining Why Arthur Miller Wrote The Crucible :: Essay on The Crucible

An Analytical Essay Explaining Why Arthur Miller Wrote The Crucible Authors often have underlying reasons for giving their stories certain themes or settings. Arthur Miller’s masterpiece, The Crucible, is a work of art inspired by actual events as a response to political and moral issues. Set in Salem, Massachusetts in 1692, The Crucible proves to have its roots in events of the 1950’s and 1960’s, such as the activities of the House Un-American Committee and the â€Å"Red Scare.† Though the play provides an accurate account of the Salem witch trials, its real achievement lies in the many important issues of Miller’s time that it dealswith. Throughout The Crucible, Miller is concerned with conscience and guilt. Through the character Abigail Williams, he shows how people are willing to abandon their firmly-established values in order to conform with the majority and protect themselves. Those who refuse to part with their conscience, such as the character of John Proctor, are chastised for it. For this reason, the Salem witch trials raise a question of the administration of justice. During this time in the late 1600’s, people were peroccupied by a fear of the devil, due to their severe Puritan belief system. Nineteen innocent people are hanged on the signature of Deputy Governor Danforth, who has the authority to try, convict, and execute anyone he deems appropriate. However, we as readers sense little to no real malice in Danworth. Rather, ignorance and fear plague him. The mass hysteria brought about by the witchcraft scare in The Crucible leads to the upheaval in people’s differentiation between right and wrong, fogging their sense of true justice. When Arthur Miller wrote The Crucible in the early 1950’s, the United States was experiencing a modern â€Å"witch hunt† of its own. Senator Joseph McCarthy, provoked by the Cold War, became fearfully convinced that Communists, or â€Å"Reds,† were polluting American government. He intended to hunt them out, force them to confess, and make them name their associates, almost as the Salem judges had done. In fact, the character of Danforth is based on McCarthy himself. There is a great parallel between the witch trials and the â€Å"Red Scare.† Both created a frenzy among the public, involved people going against each other to prove their innocence, and sought to hunt out those who rebelled against the dominant values of the time.

King Leopold’s Ghost: A Critical Book Review Essay

At the beginning of the 18th century, Africa became a target of European imperialism. Prior to the said period, Africa only served as trading post for ensuring the flow of goods to Europe. It was also one of the chief sources of slaves. The Portuguese established small settlements on the Cape of Good Hope and Eastern Africa. The Spaniards colonized some parts of Western Sahara and Morocco. During this period, much of Africa was still unknown to the Europeans. It was a land of mystery and barbarism (from the descriptions of Spanish and Portuguese chroniclers). From 1850 to 1870, the European powers divided Africa into several colonies. The British received Sudan, Egypt, South Africa, and most of central Africa. North Africa, except Libya (which was allocated to Italy) was given to France. Germany received Tanzania, Togo, Cameroon, and Western Africa. The Spanish and Portuguese retained their possessions. At the Berlin Conference (headed by Otto von Bismarck), the European powers were surprised at Belgium’s insistence of acquiring colonies in Africa. After a careful review of territorial arrangements, the European powers agreed to give Belgium Congo. King Leopold’s insistence on acquiring Congo was essentially based on two reasons. First, according to official record, he wanted to stop the so-called Arab slave trade. The Arab slave trade had its origins in the Portuguese slave trade in the 16th century. The Arabs provided a significant supply of slaves to the Portuguese. King Leopold wanted to put an end to this practice as it jeopardized the dignity of the Christian religion. Second, King Leopold wanted to increase his property holdings. King Leopold believed that the future and prosperity of his country depended on acquisitions in Africa. Leopold witnessed the progress Britain enjoyed after it acquired a significant number of colonial possessions. The same thing can be said about France and Germany. Leopold wanted to make Belgium an equal partner of the other European powers in propagating European culture and ideology to Africa. General Summary The first chapters of the book provided insight to the colonization of Congo. Henry Stanley, a known advocate of African colonization, wrote a general account of the African life. The account was full of exaggerations and promises, that is, stimulants to pressure the European powers to colonize Africa. Stanley described the Africans as ‘submerging in the ways of barbarism and cannibalism’ – a description that he never saw. The deep prejudice of Stanley towards the people of Africa can be shown in his later writings. He argued that there is a need to educate and train the African people in order that they may become self-sufficient – by self-sufficient, one means the right to self-govern. Stanley’s belief was predominant among European scholars – an element of the so-called ‘white man’s burden hypothesis. ’ In any case, Stanley’s accounts made impression to the rulers of Europe – most of which were keen to acquire more colonies for wealth and prestige. Although it is erroneous to assume that Stanley’s account was the actual cause of European colonization of Africa, Stanley’s account provided sufficient justification for the colonization of the continent. The middle chapters of the book dealt with the main opponent of the Congo government. George Washington Williams was a man of righteous standing – worthy of the name he carried. Most of his life was devoted to denouncing the evils of European imperialism in Africa. He opposed the ‘collectivization of the Congo people’ as a means to increase the wealth of the king. He proposed for a general education program that will train the Congo people to become ‘self sufficient’ – a satirical word Williams used in his writings. He argued for the abolishment of forced labor – a method which he deemed unChristian and immoral. He exposed the true nature of the ‘humanitarian motive’ of the king, arguing that it was merely a front to increase the king’s popularity in Europe. The death of Williams in 1891 did not end the criticisms against the Congo government. Other individuals like William Sheppard and Roger Casement followed the steps of Williams. The intensity of the criticisms forced King Leopold to sell the Congo state to Belgium. The last chapters of the book dealt with the legacy of King Leopold in Congo. His legacies are as follows: 1) The establishment of tobacco and rubber plantations throughout the Congo State resulted to famine and forced conscription. Because much of the agricultural land was utilized for tobacco and rubber plantations, the production of agricultural crops decreased by about 70%. Many people died from starvation and disease. Many people who worked in these plantations lost their arms, legs, and noses because most of the equipment used were unsafe. Those who failed to meet the required quota were either thrown into prison or sold to wealthy landowners. Children, women, and the elderly were required to work for about 16 hours a day – worse than the factory system in Europe; 2) King Leopold destroyed the cultural life of the people of Congo. The royal governors neglected and even repressed cultural practices in an attempt to inculcate Western values to the Congo people. Of course, such effort failed. It was impossible to inculcate Western values because the Congo people saw it as the driving force of oppression. In any case, the royal governors succeeded in destroying the cultural life of the Congo people by increased brutality – only by brutality would people lost faith on their own way of living. The King’s Ghost The brutality of the Congo State was first and foremost the reflection of the king’s image. In private, he expressed his deepest prejudice to the Africans – which in his view were nothing but primates and sources of labor. Yes, he disgruntled slavery, so long as it does not concern the Europeans. The white man’s burden was essentially based on prejudicial philanthropy. The king only possessed prejudicial qualities and never philanthropy – a very concept which he himself despised. In any case, his death did not signal the end of oppression in Congo. The oppression continued until Congo’s independence from Belgium in 1960 – the year in which European imperialism in Africa ended – or supposed to have ended. The King’s Property It was Stanley’s description of the Arab slave trade which made significant impression to King Leopold. From the official records, Leopold argued that the only barrier to prosperity in central Africa was the Arab slave trade – a phenomenon that must be stopped. However, King Leopold wanted Congo for the following reasons: 1) Leopold saw Congo as a source of wealth and income. Upon acquiring Congo, Leopold proceeded to institute repressive administration tasked to extract wealth from the country. Ivory, minerals, and other precious objects were acquired by forced labor. Populations were ‘collectivized’ in order for the system to be more efficient and cost effective. When Henry Stanley became governor of the Congo State, he instituted policies that further the suffering of the Congo people. Tobacco was planted instead of traditional crops in a significant portion of Congo’s agricultural lands. Congo’s tobacco would be sold to Europe at a considerable price. The effect: there was widespread famine in Congo; 2) King Leopold wanted to build his reputation as a ‘philanthropist’ in the eyes of the European powers. Leopold initially doubted this approach, arguing that it was generally deviant from the methods used by other European powers. Stanley advised him that such approach was the most appropriate. He would gain fame and more importantly an important economic base in Africa. His ulterior motive of ‘becoming a philanthropist’ was somehow facilitated by his eradication of the Arab slave trade in Congo – which in actuality, he replaced by forced labor. A Picture of Congo The followers of Williams painted a general picture of Congo. According to them, Congo was: 1) A land of opportunity where the people can be exploited and robbed of their possessions. For the Europeans, the most priced asset of a colony was its inhabitants. Forcing inhabitants to work for about 16 hours a day was excruciating for the Europeans. It demanded more creative means of ‘persuading’ people to increase their quotas; 2) A land of desolation where famine and disease were everywhere. The syllabus of European imperialism called for the introduction of science and medicine to alleviate peoples’ sufferings. The Congo State did the opposite. Instead of allotting food and medicine to the poor, it used its official coercive powers to destroy life, property, and liberty; 3) A land of primates whose hands tittered with mud and suffering. A group of primates (Africans) for Leopold would never equal a poor Belgian. From King Leopold’s view, the efficacy of effective colonial rule rested on the laurels of brutality. If the colonized people were ‘primitive’, then it was the work of the colonizer to further the suffering of the people. The hand of the primate, remarked Leopold was worth more than the mind of a European gazer (but never his personality). Conclusion Hochschild’s picture of Congo is accurate in three respects. First, most of the accounts used were directly derived from personal accounts of former slaves, plantation workers, and prisoners. Although it is possible that the accounts might be a little exaggerated, the flow of theme is generally in unity. Two things are certain. First, King Leopold acquired the Congo State for his personal use (increase his wealth and prestige). Second, his policies led to increased suffering to the Congo people. In any case, one cannot deny the fact that the ravages of European imperialism were also present in other parts of Africa. Only in Congo were the ravages greatly manifested itself in the policies and directives of the royal governors. This is not a proclaimed hypothesis; this is fact – a reality that every individual must know. Bibliography Hochschild, Adam. King Leopold’s Ghost. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company, 1998.

A Letter To Odyssey - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 3 Words: 779 Downloads: 3 Date added: 2019/04/01 Category Literature Essay Level High school Topics: Odyssey Essay Did you like this example? Thank you. Those words seem too small to say to someone so influential and heroic in my life. From comic books to the Special Olympics, heroes are everywhere. To be a hero, one must be admired for his or her attributes, achievements, and qualities of leadership, kindness, optimism, and humility. Although you might not be as strong as Odysseus in Homers Odyssey, you share many similar traits with him and his kind-hearted wife Penelope. By having these qualities, you have significantly impacted my life. Not only are you my inspiration, but you are also my hero. It goes without saying that heroes are usually depicted as people with special powers, ranging from super strength to invisibility. However, your special powers include cheering me alongto keep [my] courage up (Homer 370). Odysseus battles a Cyclops with his soldiers and constantly cheers them on with encouraging statements, and like him, you always encouraged your grandkids to keep working and never give up. When I was having trouble keeping up in my martial arts class, you made me practice every day and even spar with you, and eventually, I improved greatly, surpassing my peers. You endured many hardships in your life and still kept going. After losing the Vietnam War, you were separated with your family and held captive in prison by the communist Vietcong for 13 years. By the time you reunited with your family in the United States, all your children matured and viewed you as a stranger. Your daughter was about to marry my dad. Your sons were all in college, preparing for their med ical doctorates and engineering degrees. Yet you still tried to be the best father and husband possible and eventually, you did. You burned the fire in me a little bit brighter, and helped me discover that I can exceed my expectations as well as other peoples expectations of me. In addition, you taught me how to be a leader by being one yourself and using your wits to find a way (Homer 776-777). Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "A Letter To Odyssey" essay for you Create order Odysseus used his leadership and cleverness to help his soldiers escape multiple perils. Similarly, you were a leader through teaching me by example. After eating a meal, you would always put your dishes away in the sink to be washed, and I followed. After waking up in the morning, you would make your bed and closely observing, I imitated. Furthermore, Penelope, Odysseus wife, allowed a beggar to participate in a contest in which she would join [her] life with [the winners], and leave [her] homeforever (Homer 1119-1120). Penelope sets up a contest where her marriage with Odysseus is on the line, and she allows a poor beggar to take part in it, revealing her fairness and kind nature. Likewise, you tried your best to not be biased and to always be fair. Whenever my siblings and I would fight over whose turn it is to watch TV, you would give the person who watched the least amount that day access to it. You were always humble and never let [your] anger flare (Homer 501). Odysseus would often let his pride get the best of him, and as a result, endangered not only himself, but also his fellow soldiers. Unlike Odysseus, you were always modest (but boastful when talking about your grandkids) and disliked having too much attention. Being so similar and different from characters in the story, you had many qualities that make you my special hero. With everything I have mentioned and with the multitude of things I am sure I forgot to include, I want you to know that I would not be where I stand today without you. Heroes do not have to wear capes and save the world from aliens, though I know you probably would try to if you could. Heroes just have to make the world a better place, even if it is just for one person. In this case, you made the world a better place for your family and friends, and as a colonel in the Vietnam War, for your country. I am lucky to have a person like you in my life. You inspired me, led me, advised me, cared for me, and sacrificed for me in the first 10 years of my life, and I will remember you for the rest of it. As Oliver Stone states in his essay, Where I Find My Heroes, heroes are not to be recognized (Stone). Well, here I am recognizing you. On behalf of all your companions, family members, and soldiers, I thank, appreciate, and applaud you. The next time someone asks me what a hero is, I, with a n ear-to-ear smile, will proudly reply, my grandpa.