fathers and sons

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Recommended: essays on All My Sons by Arthur Miller

Father and Son

But I am prouder - infinitely prouder - to be a father. A soldier destroys in order to build; the father only builds, never destroys. The one has the potentiality of death; the other embodies creation and life. And while the hordes of death are mighty, the battalions of life are mightier still. It is my hope that my son, when I am gone, will remember me not from the battle field but in the home repeating with him our simple daily prayer, 'Our Father who art in Heaven.' (Douglas Macarthur)

Even though the main father and son relationship in Arthur Miller’s All My Sons does not display the “perfect” relationship they still hold respect and love for one another, they are each other’s security. In this play the author displays a society in which the characters are selfish, and seem to care only about themselves and the things that may benefit them. The men in this play go through great lengths to get everything they want, even if their actions may bring harm to others. Mr. Joe Keller seems to be an exception in this play; He will go through a lot of trouble to benefit others, especially his family. Joe displays so much love for his family through his affection for his son Chris. Chris and Joe have an amazing bond that lies deep within them. The respect and love they hold for one another is unmatched by other characters, and seem to be hard to divide. Although Chris is Joes’ son, Joe also has many other “sons” the men that fought in the war, these too are his children yet he deceives them.
Joe Keller and his son Chris are the main father and son relationship in this play; they are extremely close and completely respect one another however, they have much to learn, for one has a secret. Being a father means more then anything to Joe, it means the personification of graciousness and infallibility. Every move Joe makes in his life is for Chris. His entire factory that he has built from the ground up has been for Chris; his plan was after he retired that Chris would have total control over the business. After Larry, Joe’s elder son passes away Chris becomes everything to him. His love and desire for Chris to be successful made Joe oblivious to all that surrounds him.

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