All My Sons

Kate sees the falling of the apple tree as a clear sign that her son Larry is alive and will soon come home. How does the tree work as a symbol within the play itself, and how does the play make meaning out of the gap between Kate’s understanding of the tree and that of the audience?

How do the Kellers’ neighbors embody varying aspects of post-war America and the American Dream?

In what ways does the structure of the play hint at the dark secrets buried in the Kellers’ lives?

The play is staged entirely in the back yard of the Keller house. How does this staging decision impact the structure of the play, and how does it convey the play’s themes?

Larry’s letter to Ann makes clear the reasons for his death. Why would Ann choose to keep this a secret, and what are the consequences of that secrecy?

The play—inspired by a real-life scandal in which the Wright Aeronautical Corporation was charged with knowingly selling defective aircraft engines to the government—functions as a critique of war profiteering. Do its implications reach beyond the military-industrial complex to other fields of American industrial capitalism?

How does the play explore the negative social and emotional consequences that come from avoiding uncomfortable truths?

How does Chris’s idealism contrast with his father’s cynicism? Joe Keller responds to the prevalence of corruption in the world by abandoning all ideals beyond a flimsy commitment to his own family. Does Chris find a way to maintain his moral compass despite the amoral behavior he sees all around him?