Literary Analysis: All My Sons and Mr. Know-All

Grading Expectations and Course Structure

Realistic academic expectations are emphasized; achieving a grade of $90\%$ or higher is difficult due to strict requirements for spelling, grammar, and precision. Most top students score between $80\%$ and $92\%$.

Module F Structure

The five-point English track is divided into four modules, each worth approximately $25\%$

• Module E

• Literature (Module F): This module is worth roughly $26\%$. It is split over two years, with approximately $13\%$ completed this year and $13\%$ next year.

• Module G

• Oral Exam

Writing Technique: Compare and Contrast

To "compare and contrast" requires identifying similarities and differences. Use connectors such as "both," "in addition," "however," and "furthermore."

Characters in All My Sons

The Keller Family

• Joe Keller: An uneducated, childish, and stupid man. He lacks basic knowledge and uses unrefined language (e.g., misusing the word "broach"). He is a liar who prioritizes his personal family over social responsibility.

• Chris Keller: Highly idealistic, warm, and intelligent. He reads the book section of the newspaper and was nicknamed "Mother McKellar" during the war due to his caring nature.

• Kate Keller (Mother): Manipulative and desperate. She refuses to admit Larry is dead because his death would imply Joe's guilt in the cylinder head scandal.

Supporting Characters

• Jim Bayless: A doctor who is intelligent but depressed. He is an idealist who wishes to perform medical research but is constrained by his domestic life.

• Sue Bayless: Materialistic and greedy. She forces Jim to stay in a lucrative medical practice he hates for the sake of money.

• Frank and Lydia Lubey: Frank is described as stupid and practical, believing in horoscopes and astrology. Lydia married Frank while George Deever was at war.

• Steve Deever: Described as a "little man" and "stupid." He followed Joe's illegal orders to ship cracked cylinder heads and is currently in prison.

• George Deever: Steve's son; he arrives in Act Two wearing his father's hat, symbolizing he has taken his father's side against Joe Keller.

Symbolism and Key Quotes in All My Sons

Symbols

• George’s Hat: Symbolizes George aligning himself with his father, Steve.

• Poplar Trees: Closely planted around the house, they symbolize the family's secrets.

• The Apple Tree: Symbolizes Larry; Kate believes its destruction in a storm is a sign he might still be alive.

• Newspapers: Reflect the intelligence of the characters (Joe reads want ads; Chris reads books; Jim reads the entire paper). They also represent how Larry discovered Joe's crime via American newspapers shipped to his base.

Significant Quotes and Concepts

• The Jail Game: Joe plays a game with a neighborhood kid, Bert, claiming there is a jail in his basement. This foreshadows Joe’s guilt and the eventually revealed gun.

• Post-War Guilt: Chris feels like a "hypocrite" for working in the factory. He views the civilian world as a "rat race" where people only care about money, unlike the selfless brotherhood he saw in the war.

• "Because certain things have to be": Kate insists Larry is alive because if he is dead, Joe is responsible for his death.

• "P 40s/Pigs": When Joe suggests Larry didn't fly P 40s, Chris retorts, "Who flew P 40s, pigs?" highlighting Joe’s indifference to the $21$ pilots who died.

• Guilt and Exoneration: Joe admits, "I was as guilty as hell," but remains proud that he had a paper (exoneration) to prove he wasn't, showing his lack of moral shame.

Analysis of Mr. Know-All

Setting and Conflict

The story takes place after World War I ($1918$) on a ship. The narrator is a judgmental English gentleman who dislikes Mr. Kelada before even meeting him due to his name and possessions.

Characters

• Mr. Kelada (Mr. Know-All): Loud, talkative, and "in your face." Despite his behavior, he is the "real pearl" of the story—good on the inside.

• Mr. Ramsay: A loud, argumentative man who knows nothing about pearls but picks a fight with Kelada.

• Mrs. Ramsay: Described as a "pretty little thing" who looks modest. She represents the "fake pearl"—beautiful outside but dishonest inside, as she likely had an affair to acquire the expensive pearls.

The Bet

Mr. Ramsay bets Mr. Kelada $\$100$ that his wife’s pearls are fake. Kelada realizes the pearls are real (and thus worth thousands), but he lies and says they are fake to save Mrs. Ramsay's marriage. Though he loses the money and his reputation on the ship, he is the moral winner.

Questions & Discussion

Student: How long will the exam be? Instructor: You have $1$ hour and $30$ minutes, plus an extra $30$ minutes if you have extra time. There are about $12$ deep questions, including one choice question.

Student: Do we need to do the bridging question? Instructor: No, you are not doing the bridging question for this exam.

Student: What is the lesson of All My Sons? Instructor: Key lessons include: money isn't everything, no man is an island, and one should strive to be idealistic rather than cynical. Also, don't be a "Jim" (don't live a miserable, compromised life).

Student: What is the message of Mr. Know-All? Instructor: "Don't judge a book by its cover" and avoid prejudice. We are all judgmental like the narrator, but we should look at a person's inner character.

Student: When is the review session? Instructor: There will be a review session tomorrow from $09:30$ until $11:30$.