Dramatic Tension in Miller's All My Sons

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Dramatic Tension in Miller's All My Sons

This extract begins with Chris and Ann deciding how they're going to

break the news to the Kellers. They start with Joe Keller, and he

somewhat approves. The scene is lighthearted until Keller finds out

the George is on the phone for Ann from Columbia. This drives is

suspicions and gets him very protective. He begins to try and hint to

Chris that Ann is here to try and convict him of the death of Larry.

Chris then gets very angry with him, and Joe compensates by bringing

out his extreme love and care for the success of his family. The

tension of the scene gradually builds up until this part, where Joe

Keller abruptly gets very content and jokes about how they will "get

Kate so drunk that night they'll all get married!"

Meanwhile Ann is very nervous about breaking the news to Kate. Miller

creates a slight form of tension here, as the audience also feels

anxious to see what would happen when the news is broken to Kate, as

she says that she is "not very good in an argument" This nervousness

hints that there will be great conflict when they announce their

marriage to Kate. However, Chris gallantly and typically re-assures

her and brings down the tension again when he says she should "just

leave it to him". She is on the phone with George finding out more

details about Joe's crime, after disowning their own father for the

crime.

This extract plays a significant role in the play, as it shows how

Chris can become very defensive over the woman he loves, and how Joe

is very paranoid, as he is troubled by the thoughts of his crime, and

therefore begins to accuse Ann's visit to be one of negativ...

... middle of paper ...

...that whenever Joe hears of George's presence he begins to get

very uncomfortable, and compensates his guiltiness with the accusation

of other people's faults. I feel he is in some sort of denial as he

keeps telling himself that he committed this crime for his family.

However Chris is angry that the world has not been changed, that the

selflessness of his fellow soldiers counts for nothing. He feels

guilty to make money out of a business which does not value the men on

whose labour it relies. So he keeps getting angry at his father.

This extract is a key to the turning point in the play, as the truth

is to be unraveled very soon after. So its significance is in the fact

that it prepares the audience for the disagreements and arguments

where the truth is revealed in the play, with the constant rise and

fall in tension.

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