All My Sons Key character quotes Joe Keller

Key character quotes

Joe Keller Act 1 - A heavy man of stolid mind .. . a business man these many years, but with the imprint of the machine-shop worker and boss still upon him.

Joe being both 'the worker and boss' shows his desire for money as he has gone up the social ladder but not always been at the top, he is a product of capitalism, still thinks as tho he may lose his life which has been spent working his way up a system, a rat race. Theme of money

We can also link this to Joe's pragmatic attitude and the theme of ideology joe represents capitalism.

Key character quotes

Joe Keller Act 1 - When he listens, it is with terrible concentration of the uneducated man

Theme of Ideology, pragmatic attitude, and the generation gap as Joe has not been brought up like Chris, therefore does not think the same way.

Miller giving us an insight into Joe's thought processing, realism technique link to ibsen

Key character quotes

Joe Keller Act 1 - a peasant-like common sense. A man among men.

Joe is a peasant and yet he is 'a man among men' showing the irony of him being at the top.

Link to Miller's essay on the common man and how he saw the common man as just as important as kings. Miller's life working amongst working class.

Joe has his hubris and ego and money which gives him the facade of being royalty, Keller is well respected in his own area due to this wealth and fortune.

Key character quotes

Joe Keller Act 1 - ' I don't know, I don't read the news part any more. It's more interesting in the want ads.

initial introduction to Joe's priority and obsession with money, this emphasises his lack of education

Key character quotes

Joe Keller Act 1 - ' That was a very happy family used to live in your house, JIm'

We are introduced to Joe's actions and some background of the play. Why is there not a happy family their anymore? Joe who brought down the other family is speaking authoritatively despite his own actions.

Miller's use of the greek chorus and adding background context. greek tragedy technique

Key character quotes

Joe Keller Act 1 - 'Well that's what a war does. I had two sons, now i got one.'

Theme of war

first mention of Larry's death

ironic as Joe has killed his sons

Anti-war message

Simple dramatic sentences

Key character quotes

Joe Keller Act 1 - 'Today a doctor could make a million dollars if he could figure out a way to bring a boy into the world without a trigger figure.'

theme of war and money as Joe views the end of war and its devastation in terms of money showing his obsession with it

Key character quotes

Joe Keller Act 1 -'What's Mother going to say?'

Fear for mother shows the gender roles of 1949 America and the atomic family, despite mother knowing the truth the men in her family undermine her.

Key character quotes

Joe Keller Act 1 -[laughs]: I got all the kids crazy!

Chris Act 1 - One of these days, they'll all come i here and beat your brains out.'

foreshadows death

links to the theme of the generation gap

theme of violence and destruction

Key character quotes

Joe Keller Act 1 - 'You can talk yourself blue in the face, but there's no body and there's no grave, so where are you?

Joe manipulates the information and refuses to believe the truth instead relying on the lack of evidence, Joes ability to ignore what he has to ignore. Use of stykophicic language and rhetoric to divert attention.

Key character quotes

Joe Keller Act 1 - 'I ignore what I gotta ignore.'

themes of morality

Joe signifies his deliberate choice to avoid confronting uncomfortable truths or taking responsibility for his actions, illustrating his self-deception and denial to maintain his own sense of morality and well-being, even when faced with potentially damaging information.

foreshadows Joe's guilt as he struggles internally with the information of his own mistake

Key character quotes

Joe Keller Act 1 - 'You mean .. [ Goes to him] Tell me something, you mean you'd leave the business?'

Use of prosodics to show Joe's aggression and intimidation towards his own son show the generation gap and Joe's resorting to violence. The non fluency shows his disbelief about Chris not wanting to join the business. Use of 'You' pronoun emphasises this.

Key character quotes

Joe Keller Act 1 - [puts a fist up yo Chris's jaw]: But don't think that way, you hear me?

Kinesics - up to Chris's jaw show more anger and violence in Joe's character as he has a peasant like common sense. Joe is pragmatic and we get a sense of ideologies clashing here as Joe uses imperatives to try and force Chris into thinking a certain way. Use of 'you'

Key character quotes

Joe Keller Act 1 - 'You above all have got to believe, you .. ' Joe - [rises]: Why me above all?

Guilt and morality

Joe again uses rhetoric and switches the blame, 'why me' changes the pro nouns around, He rises using prosodics to show a defiance to the accusation. Joe is stubborn and forces himself to fight rather than taking the blame.

Key character quotes

Joe Keller Act 1 - ' What have i got to hide'

Hubris - excessive pride

Joe uses simple sentences that are purposefully dramatic in order to remove doubt about himself. Joe is guilty and it is showing in his overly ambiguous dialogue that is trying to disguise something. Miller uses Joe's prideful language to build suspense

Key character quotes

Joe Keller Act 1 - 'The story was, I pulled a fast one getting myself exonerated.' 'And with a smile. The beast!.' 'I was guilty as hell.'

Themes of morality and guilt

colloquial language 'pulled a fast one'

minimises Joe's guilt and foreshadows his actions

Joe uses zoomorphism to describe himself as the beast in a self deprecating style

Joe uses hubris smiling through his teeth as he admits to his own guilt

Key character quotes

Joe Keller Act 1 - 'Fourteen months later i had one of the best shops in the state again, a respected man again; bigger than ever.'

Joe glosses over the consequences from his own actions and of Steve Deva's arrest, Joe only cares about his shop and his pride, wealth and status. Minimises the suffering caused. Joe reveals his deep need for social approval and how it is tied to money and his identity as a man. Hubris as he is bigger than ever. Repetition of again and simplistic language to show his pragmatic view of his own actions.

Themes of American Dream

Key character quotes

Joe Keller Act 1 '-you play cards with a man you know he can't be a murderer.'

Themes of morality and pride as Joe flaunts his freedom and trustability behind the macho facade of cards. Joe truly believes he is not a murderer and it perhaps shows his own peasant like common sense as he does not see behind people's actions.

Key character quotes

Joe Keller Act 1 - ' but you gotta forgive, don't you?'

Keller speaks to Ann as he moves the blame from himself, you gotta, shows his non standard grammar and the projection of his own guilt.

Theme of morality and War conflict

Key character quotes

Joe Keller Act 1 - 'Every half hour the Major callin' for cylinder heads, they were whippin' us with the telephone.'

Theme of the effect of the war and money

Keller shows the pressure he was under and gives the audience insight into the climate of war profiteering and the war itself. Realism.

Metaphor of 'whippin' us with the telephone' shows the severity of the call and Keller's submission to the money and to do the job.

non standard grammar and colloquial language

Key character quotes

Joe Keller Act 1 - If i could have gone in that day I'd a told him junk 'em, Steve, we can afford it. But alone he was afraid.'

The use of 'if' gives possibility and chance to his own mistake as an excuse for himself. emphasised by 'could have' plausibles. 'Junk 'em' shows his unserious attitude to the situation. Ironic as he is lying and the mention of money, not a morality issue but one of expense.

'Alone he was afraid' - links to the theme of ideology and capitalism as Steve suffers whilst Joe prospers

Key character quotes

Joe Keller Act 2 - '- a daughter is a daughter, and a father is a father.'

Theme of gender roles and the American dream

repetition emphasising this, Keller placing dominating patriarchal stance on his surroundings and those below him

Key character quotes

Joe Keller Act 2 - 'No, no partner. A good job.'

Scene detailing, Keller being asked if he'd have steve Deeva as a partner,

is a reflection of Joe's past actions as he prioritize money over the lives of the 21 pilots, joe would still take Steeve on showing his lack of change, use of simple sentences to show pragmatism

Key character quotes

Joe Keller Act 2 - ' As long as i know him, twenty- five years, the man never learned how to take the blame.'

joe refutes his own heinous crimes by using manipulation and guilt tripping Steve's own son George due to the fact George has known his own father for less time due to Joe placing him in jail, use of proper noun and adverbials 25 years to emphasise time.

Key character quotes

Joe Keller Act 2 - 'There are certain men in the world who rather see everybody hung before they'll take the blame.'

Keller's vaguity about people that are like himself shows his own denial ashe refuses to see himself in bad traits and people

Murderous imagery foreshadows his own fate

Key character quotes

Joe Keller Act 2 - [ The beginning of plea in his voice]: He never flew a P-20-'

stage directions implying desperation and miller use of intense description, non fluency after p 20 to show Keller's end as he is beginning to see how desperate it sounds and how untruthful he is being Keller still doesn't see the wider picture and has not experienced his peripetea

Key character quotes

Joe Keller Act 2 - I'm in business, a man is in business

Theme of Gender roles Chris and Keller and Money, Keller views being a man as being the earner and being linked to obsession and need for money, shows Keller's patriarchal traditional views that are based on his pragmatic approach and his past as a worker

'Key character quotes

Joe Keller Act 2 -A hundred and twenty cracked, you're out of business

you're out of business

repetition, pro nouns 'Your'e implying the shared guilt reflection his own fear and desperation, Keller generalises his own mistakes, link to quote by miller always understandable always unacceptable, Miller using reader engagement to promote audience includability

Key character quotes

Joe Keller Act 2 -You lay forty years into a business and they knock you out in five minutes,'

contrasting of time as Keller in pressure situation, the pro noun of they showing his lack of social responsibility as it is never his own fault

Key character quotes

Joe Keller Act 2 -Chris i did it for you

For you, a business for you!

Pro noun of You, hides his real desires, shows Keller's true desire for money as he has ironically murdered his other son for the business too

Key character quotes

Joe Keller Act 3 - What happened to my family?

Keller in disbelief at his own role in the downfall of those around him. Possessive pro noun My showing how Keller sees himself at the head of it. Keller's ignorance for my money. Rhetoric

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Joe Keller Act 3 - He would forgive me! For what?

keller's refusal to accept responsibility

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Joe Keller Act 3 - You wanted money so i made money. What must I be forgiven? You wanted money, didn't you?

3x Money showing Keller's obsession and ignorance to his families desires as Kate just wants her son back not money. Keller pragmatic attitude. You pro noun to shift blame

Key character quotes

Joe Keller Act 3 - I'm his father and he's my son, and if there's something bigger than that i'll put. a bullet in my head!

Simple sentences and simple lexis to show Keller's lack of education, foreshadowing Keller's death. Exclamatory emphasising this showing Keller's excessive pride

Key character quotes

Joe Keller Act 3 - Goddam, if Larry was alive he wouldn't act like this. He understood the way the world is made.

Ironic phrase and extended metaphor of Larry to symbolise this, Pragmatic view of the way the world is made

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Joe Keller Act 3 - I should've put him out when he was ten like i was put out, and make him earn his keep

Keller reference to the great depression, and showing context behind his viewpoint on money out of fear, reference through put out

Key character quotes

Joe Keller Act 3 - It's dollars and cents, nickels and dimes; war and peace, it's nickels and dimes, what's clean? Half the Godamn country is gotta go if i go!

Dollars and cents showing how Keller views the war as a money scheme, Miller view of highlighting problems of capitalism and message to audience, reference to illicit fortunes being made, metaphor

Key character quotes

Joe Keller Act 3 - Chris a man can't be a jesus in this world!

Ironic religious imagery, imperative can't be, Keller refutes the ability to be moral exclamatory

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Joe Keller Act 3 - Sure, he was my son. But i think to him they were all my sons

metaphor for the deaths of the pilots, Metaphor for Keller finally realising that he needs to have social responsibility

theme of idealism and morality

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