All My Sons - Chris And Joe Conflict Quotes

Front 1

Joe Keller's character, ordinary man, working class but now middle class, an Everyman

Back 1

"A man among men"

Front 2

Joe's ignorance and denial, rejection of things he doesn't like

Back 2

"I don't read the news part anymore."

Front 3

Chris - direct, brutally honest

Back 3

"You know Larry's not coming back and I know it."
"I think we made a mistake lying to mother."

Front 4

Keller - denial, avoids trouble

Back 4

"You can't say that to her"

Front 5

Passive, responsibility to himself only

Back 5

"I ignore what I gotta ignore."

Front 6

Chris fed up with living of the consequences of Larry's death, always tries to do the right thing and is tired

Back 6

"Every time I reach out for something I want, I have to pull back because other people will suffer."

Front 7

Contrasting views between Joe and Chris

Back 7

"The business doesn't inspire me."
"Must you be inspired?"

Front 8

Chris living in limbo, seeking change

Back 8

"We're like at a rain road station waiting for a train that will never come in."

Front 9

Chris' admiration and adoration for his parents, especially Joe

Back 9

"[with admiration] Joe McGuts."

Front 10

Family responsibility versus collect responsibility

Back 10

"Larry never flew a P-40."
"So who flew those P-40s? Pigs?"

Front 11

Keller trying to justify what he knows he has done wrong

Back 11

"Just try to see it human."
"That's a mistake but it ain't murder."

Front 12

Collective responsibility due to time in war.

Back 12

"They killed themselves for each other."
"A kind of ... responsibility. Man for man."

Front 13

Chris' guilt of being alive

Back 13

"There's blood on it."

Front 14

Genuinely does not believe his father is guilty
Will destroy him when he does

Back 14

"Do you think I could forgive him if he'd done a thing like that?"

Front 15

Denial of consequences of actions, still does not understand responsibility
Family responsibility, family above all else

Back 15

"I dont understand why she has to crucify the man." "A father is a father."

Front 16

Keller's profited from war

Back 16

"Everything they have is covered in blood."

Front 17

Chris' subliminal guilt

Back 17

"Then why isn't your name on the business?"

Front 18

Kate reveals truth by accident
Turnining point, causes conflict between Joe and Chris

Back 18

"Because if he's dead, your father killed him."

Front 19

Anger of Chris after truth

Back 19

"How could you do that? How?"
"Explain it to me or I'll tear you to pieces."

Front 20

Joe still not accepting responsibility
Selfish, self-preservation

Back 20

"What could I do, let them take 40 years, let them take my life away?"

Front 21

Joe's desperation, fear of age

Back 21

"Chris, I did it for you. Sixty-one year olds don't get another chance."

Front 22

Devestating for Chris
Anger
Keller: fallible - infallible
Keller's actions so contradictory to all of Chris' beliefs

Back 22

"[With burning fury]"
"I was dying everyday and you were killing my boys and you did it for me?"
"What the hell do you think I was thinking of, the Godam business?"
"Don't you live in the world? What the hell are you? You're not even an animal, not even an animal kills his own."
"I ought to tear the tongue out of your mouth, what must I do? [..covering his face as he weeps.]"

Front 23

Jim is cynical, Miller shows capitalist view is what is wrong with society

Back 23

"Money-money-money-money-money."

Front 24

Chris' views are contrasting for him to deal with

Back 24

"Chris would never know how to deal with a thing like that."

Front 25

Joe's actions make Chris lose his innocence
Chris' honesty is a lie to him

Back 25

"The star of one's honesty."
"Wanted to be alone to watch his star go out."

Front 26

Joe's main concern is still himself and family
blinkered view of society

Back 26

"I thought I had a family here. What happened to my family."

Front 27

Kate trying to fix one lie with another

Back 27

"Tell him you're willing to go to prison."

Front 28

Still will not accept responsibility
How society views success = money
Joe is last to make change

Back 28

"He would forgive me? For what?"
"You wanted money I made money."

Front 29

Joe's view of responsibility

Back 29

"There is nothing bigger that family to him."
"Nothin' is bigger."

Front 30

Joe clings on, speaks of Larry understanding family responsibility
Makes Larry's letter more devastating
Ironic

Back 30

"If Larry was alive, he wouldn't act like this."

Front 31

Contrains of family responsibility
Parents hurting Chris
Ironic

Back 31

"I want you to set him free."

Front 32

Family responsibility only hurt Chris in the end

Back 32

"I'm yellow. I was made yellow in this house."

Front 33

Chris changed
Idealism is gone, bitter, disillusioned

Back 33

"I'm practical now, and I spit on myself."

Front 34

Society is corrupt and flawed
Man against man
Animal symbolism - savage

Back 34

"You don't love a man here, you eat him."
"This is a zoo, a zoo!"

Front 35

Joe all about money
Sees nothing but money in life

Back 35

"War and peace, its nickels and dimes."

Front 36

Justifies his actions with mass corruption
Miller highlights Joe's view is common

Back 36

"Half the Godam country is gotta go if I go."

Front 37

Saw father as better
Flaws of parent-child relationships
- parents are human and have flaws

Back 37

"I never saw you as a man, I saw you as my father."

Front 38

Joe's opposing view to Chris
Sacrifice, sins

Back 38

"A man can't be a Jesus in this world."

Front 39

We all have an individual responsibility

Back 39

"Now blame the world."

Front 40

Resolution of conflict
Joe's accepts Chris' view of responsibility
Illustrates that Joe's view was flawed

Back 40

"I think to him they were all my sons. And I guess they were, I guess they were."

Front 41

Chris still has his ideals
Main message of All My Sons

Back 41

"You can be better."
"There's a universe of people outside and you're responsible to it."