All my sons ACT 1

KELLER (Laughs.) I got all the kids crazy!

One of these days, they'll all come in here and beat your brains out.

Keller: What's she going to say? Maybe we ought to tell her before she sees it.

She saw it.

Keller: How could she see it?  I was the first one up.  She was still in bed

She was out here when it broke

Keller: When?

About four this morning. I heard it cracking and I woke up and looked out.  She was standing right there when it cracked.

Keller: What was she doing out here four in the morning?

I don't know.  When it cracked she ran back into the house and cried in the kitchen.

Keller: Did you talk to her?

No, I... I figured the best thing was to leave her alone.

Keller: She cried hard?

I could hear her right through the floor of my room

Keller: What was she doing out here at that hour? She's dreaming about him again.  She's walking around at night.

I guess she is.

Keller: She's getting just like after he died. What's the meaning of that?

I don't know the meaning of it. But I know one thing, Dad. We've made a terrible mistake with Mother.

Keller: What?

Being dishonest with her.  That kind of thing always pays off, and now it's paying off

Keller: What do you mean, dishonest?

You know Larry's not coming back and I know it.  Why do we allow her to go on thinking that we believe with her?

Keller: What do you want to do, argue with her?

I don't want to argue with her, but it's time she realized that nobody believes Larry is alive any more. Why shouldn't she dream of him, walk the nights waiting for him?  Do we contradict her?  Do we say straight out that we have no hope any more?  That we haven't had any home for years now?

Keller: You can't say that to her.

We've got to say it to her

Keller: How're you going to prove it?  Can you prove it?

For God's sake, three years!  Nobody comes back after three years.  It's insane.

Keller: To you it is, and to me.  But not to her.  You can talk yourself blue in the face, but there's no body and no grave, so where are you?

Sit down, Dad.  I want to talk to you.

Keller: The trouble is the Goddam newspapers.  Every month some boy turns up from nowhere, so the next one is going to be Larry, so...

All right, all right, listen to me. You know why I asked Annie here, don't you?

Keller: Why?

You know

Keller: Well, I got an idea, but... What's the story?

I'm going to ask her to marry me

Keller: Well, that's only your business, Chris

You know it's not only my business.

Keller: What do you want me to do?  You're old enough to know your own mind.

Then it's all right, I'll go ahead with it?

Keller: Well, you want to be sure Mother isn't going to...

Then it isn't just my business

Keller: I'm just sayin' ...

Sometimes you infuriate me, you know that? Isn't it your business, too, if I tell this to Mother and she throws a fit about it?  You have such a talent for ignoring things

Keller: I ignore what I gotta ignore.  The girl is Larry's girl

She's not Larry's girl.

Keller: From Mother's point of view he is not dead and you have no right to take his girl. Now you can go on from there if you know where to go, but I'm tellin' you I don't know where to go.   See?  I don't know.  Now what can I do for you?

I don't know why it is, but every time I reach out for something I want, I have to pull back because other people will suffer.  My whole bloody life, time after time after time

Keller:  You're a considerate fella, there's nothing wrong in that.

To hell with that.

Keller: Did you ask Annie yet?

I wanted to get this settled first

Keller: How do you know she'll marry you? Maybe she feels the same way Mother does?

Well, if she does, then that's the end of it.  From her letters I think she's forgotten him.  I'll find out.  And then we'll thrash it out with Mother?  Right? Dad, don't avoid me.

Keller: The trouble is, you don't see enough women.  You never did

So what?  I'm not fast with women.

Keller: I don't see why it has to be Annie

Because it is.

Keller: That's a good answer, but it don't answer anything.  You haven't seen her since you went to war.   It's five years.

I can't help it.  I know her best.  I was brought up next door to her.  These years when I think of someone for my wife, I think of Annie.  What do you want, a diagram?

Keller: I don't want a diagram... I...I'm... She thinks he's coming back Chris.  You marry that girl and you're pronouncing him dead.  Now what's going to happen to mother?  Do you know?  I don't.

All right, then, Dad.

Keller: Give it some more thought.

I've given it three years of thought.  I'd hoped that if I waited, Mother would forget Larry and then we'd have a regular wedding and everything happy.  But if that can't happen here, then I'll have to get out.

Keller: What the hell is this?

I'll get out.  I'll get married and live some place else.  Maybe in New York

Keller: Are you crazy?

I've been a good son too long, a good sucker.  I'm through with it.

Keller: You've got a business here.  What the hell is this?

The business! The business doesn't inspire me

Keller: Must you be inspired?

Yes.  I like it an hour a day.  If I have to grub for money all day long at least at evening I want it beautiful.  I want a family, I want some kids, I want to build something that I can give myself to.  Annie is in the middle of that.  Now ... where to I find it?

Keller: You mean... Tell me something, you mean you'd leave the business?

Yes. On this I would.

Keller: Well... you don't want to think like that.

Then help me stay here.

Keller: All right, but... but don't think like that.  Because what the hell did I work for?  That's only for you, Chris, the whole shootin' match is for you!

I know that, Dad.  Just you help me stay here.

Keller: But don't think that way, you hear me?

I am thinking that way.

Keller: I don't understand you, do I?

No, you don't.  I'm a pretty tough guy.