'All My Sons' by Arthur Miller - A Review

War is a dirty business.

Rating - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Genre - tragedy

Themes - grief, war, wealth, ignorance, women, guilt, family

Similar Plays - 'The Crucible' - Arthur Miller, 'An Inspector Calls' - J.B Priestley

'All My Sons' by Arthur Miller explores changing family dynamics following World War Two and the ethics of wealth creation during the war. The play is based around the Keller family, made from business man Joe Keller whose business allowed faulty equipment into planes leading to the deaths of 21 pilots; his wife Kate Keller who refuses to believe her son Larry, who went missing during the war, is dead and his other son ,Chris Keller, who questions the wealth his family acquired during the war and desires to move on in life. 'All My Sons' is considered the play which established Arthur Miller as a leading voice in American Theatre.

'All My Sons' is truly an interesting play, exploring how the war impacted families and the grief experienced by those who lost loved ones to it. Miller uses his play to shine a light on the clandestine acts of immorality done whilst a war devastated the globe, and to express the necessity of social responsibility, especially in big businesses. Through the characters Chris Keller and Ann Deever, Miller explores rebuilding following a personal tragedy, and the need for accountability through Joe Keller. Therefore, for its' interesting perspective on life after the war and capitalism, this play gets 5 stars.