All My Sons

I didn't really like All My Sons, but I didn't dislike it either. Although the end kind of bugged me because, as usual, somebody died, I also liked the thematic aspect of it. I thought it was very interesting how the author revealed at the end of the play that Larry had killed himself because of what Joe had done. I thought it really emphasized the theme of how your actions affect more than just you.

The characters in All My Sons were very interesting. Joe had values that don't really match my own. I side more with Chris in this area. This made it interesting to try to understand Joe's point of view. He believed so strongly in taking care of his family that he was willing to sacrifice almost anything else for it. I personally couldn't imagine killing 21 people, even if it was indirectly, in order to keep a business going. In my opinion, no business--no matter how lucrative or amazing--is worth 21 people's lives. I also found it interesting how Chris reacted to the discovery that Joe was really guilty. He was pretty calm about it and let Joe make his decision about what to do for himself. I think that if it was me, I would probably be a lot angrier and less able to objectively approach the situation. I also thought that Ann was an interesting character. To begin with, dating Larry and then his brother Chris after Larry died would take an interesting frame of mind. I would just find it too weird to do. And the amount that she was willing to hide and sacrifice in order to be with Chris, for me, is also pretty strange.