Aristotle wrote in Poetics that tragedy should contain incidents arousing pity and fear and thus prove cathartic for an audience. To what extent does the plot of Arthur Millers play, All My Sons

“He‘s not dead, so there‘s no argument!” 

        This makes the audience pity her sub-conscious state and empathise with her hope for Larry’s return. It could be argued as to what extent we can cope with her denial and her rejection of reality. Progression sees Miller introduce us to the bliss of hope, this is important to the cathartic journey, as we hope for some re-alignment of morality or achievement of justice. Hope is first presented through Frank Lubey, a superstitious character, who brings us closer towards catharsis through the melancholic life he lives and the hope he brings within the play for fellow characters, besides the hope the audience already bear:

‘(Looks up at the sky)’

        These stage directions are evidence of Frank’s hope and transcendence into a world of his own. Nevertheless, Chris Keller is a warm man who cares for his father and becomes Miller’s mouthpiece in demonstrating the world beyond the Keller home. He strives for independence and security but constantly gets held back from his parents and is put into an inertia of his own:

“…every time I reach out for something I want, I have to pull back because other people will suffer.”

        This is part of Millers plot where pathos allows the audience to feel emotions of pity evoked by Chris’s helplessness and thus prove cathartic. The audience also fear as to what step Chris might take in the future because of his suffering:

“I’ll get out. I’ll get married and live some place else. Maybe in New York.”

        The audience also empathise with Chris, as the family secret prevents him from breaking free and therefore the audience hope for Chris’ life to be re-aligned and end happily with his marriage to Ann. However this news arouses trepidation in the audience and characters because they do not understand as to how Kate might react because of her fragile state and her stubborn will.  This is evident through Keller‘s dialogue and Miller’s apprehensive language:

“Well, you want to be sure Mother isn’t going to -”

        At the very end of Act One the audience are left feeling a strong sense of fear for Joe Keller when he is made aware of George Deever’s return. The audience understand Keller’s vulnerability and his lack in understanding the complexities of life therefore he sees no harm in George’s return, but is it debateable as to whether Keller might know how much of a risk it could be on a sub-conscious level and as to what George might be here for?  Miller has made this is evident through the stage directions, exemplifying the fear:

“(frightened, but angry): Yes, I’m sure.”

        The fear left with the audience to experience at the end of Act One becomes pivotal in the role of experiencing catharsis. Miller has instantaneously given us the opportunity to empathise with the characters and in turn fear for them thus we are given a sense of foreboding, vital for ultimately experiencing catharsis in any tragedy.  In the opening stage directions of Act Two Miller, again, uses pathetic fallacy to suggest the progression in the plot and perhaps the catastrophe still to come suggested metaphorically by Miller:

“…leaving stump standing alone…”

         Though as the play progresses a growing sense of anxiety is created in the audience by Miller. We can see this through Sue Bayliss a character chosen by Miller to represent the wider community. This lets the audience fear even more for Joe Keller as a character because it becomes apparent that not everybody overlooks his guilt:

“There’s not a person on the block who doesn’t know the truth.” 

        In Act Two Miller finally decides to present a rush of emotions which soon psychologically engage the audience as well as the characters Chris, Ann and George. Miller’s use of short, forceful sentences build tension and anxiety in the audience that we soon become eager to reach some sort of resolution, where inner peace can be found. This is witnessed through George’s dialogue and we soon learn to identify with George’s character because we recognize his impatience to reach a cathartic ending:

“But the morning passed. No sign of Joe. So Dad called again.”

        George’s transcendental state also suggests trouble constructing an impression of fear upon the audience:

“(Calling as George pays no attention…)”

         Considering George’s character we could deduce that he is a caricature used by Miller to start the tragedy and thus the journey to catharsis. After the anxiety we experience, Kate’s sudden entrance to the involvement of catharsis builds tension and hope for resolution. But then Miller entraps us into a network of terror once more when Kate slips her tongue disproving Keller’s alibi, this brings hope for Chris and George as we, the audience, hope that they will find out the truth and move on out of the inertia:

“He hasn’t been laid up in fifteen years.”

 At this point the audience become so terrified at the thought of what might happen, our spirit of hope and empathy strengthens in order to bring a cathartic ending closer. It is evident from Millers language, in particular the stage directions, that Ann becomes confused and frustrated, hence his choice for all the characters to speak directly towards her, thus we begin to empathise strongly with Ann, as a character understanding her under pressure state:

“(to Ann)”

        Towards the end of Act Two we also fear of what news Frank could bring:

“…I’ve got something amazing for you, Kate, I finished Larry’s horoscope…”

        His news potentially could destroy the hope we have for Chris and Ann by suggesting Larry is not dead yet relieves Kate’s sub-conscious hope. We also finally fear for Chris, what he might do after he finds out the truth and how must he feel once he has, we empathise with his character understanding his situation:

“(with burning fury): For me!…”

        Through the conflict created by Miller the hope for the character relationships strengthens as does our pity for Joe Keller. Is our protagonist a good man who has made a bad decision just for his family? Does he deserve our empathy in order to reach a cathartic ending?

“Chris…My Chris…”

        The use of an ellipse creates tension and suspense for the audience as we become keener for the characters and plot to acquire justice. Miller also gives the opportunity to for us to question as to whether Chris Keller is our tragic hero whose fatal flaw is self-delusion. In addition to this Chris is our symbol of hope as the majority of hope sprouts from him therefore if his hope expires then we have no hope for the characters. Nevertheless Act Three in ‘All My Sons’ becomes pivotal in examining whether we reach catharsis.  

 

        In Act Three the audience hope stalwartly for some justice and resolution to be taken place and long for a cathartic conclusion. As Miller relieves Kate’s sub-conscious hope we become fearful at the thought of what might happen when she finally faces reality. Miller also reveals that not only is the audience going through the process of purging emotions to reach a cathartic ending, but in fact so are the characters therefore the audience empathise with their desperate hope for resolution. The audience now seem to share the same hope as the characters building deeper empathetic feelings from the audience:

“(with pity and fear)”

        The letter that Ann reveals to Kate becomes representative of a catalyst used by Miller in order to reach catharsis. What does the letter enclose and how can this change the lives of all the characters, is what we the audience fear for.  After the truth has been exposed we finally feel a sense of relief, but then the plot takes a sudden turn:

“A shot is heard in the house. They stand frozen for a brief second.”

        In conclusion: having explored the issues within the plot that allow for catharsis, Arthur Miller in ‘All My Sons’ does not let the audience reach the long awaited cathartic ending. Our hope for resolution and the purging of valuable emotions is waived through the ultimate act of cowardice by Joe Keller: his suicide. The hope we have for Chris, Ann and Kate to live freer lives is now the only hope that exists.  Instead of relief, a whole new consortium of anxieties is revealed. We can evaluate upon the fact of whether or not all the characters had a further responsibility. Should have Chris vowed to prove that his fathers alibi was the truth? At the time when Steve Deever called Keller for help and Kate answered, should she have taken responsibility? And finally, should we, as the audience, be so harsh upon Kate Keller, is her only fault to love her family more than ever, thus pitying her state. Miller has indeed purged our emotions till the very end of the play, but whether or not we have reached a cathartic ending can only be identified from one’s own experience.

Word Count: 1880

Bibliography

Primary Texts

Miller, Arthur. All My Sons. Oxford: Heinemann Educational Publishers, 1971.

Websites

, accessed 9th November 08

, accessed 9th November 08

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