Before his last flight, Larry wrote to his fiancée, Ann, Steve’s daughter. He had read of his fathers and Steve’s arrest. Now he was planning suicide
Three and a half years later, Ann has told no-one of this letter. Kate Keller knows her husband to be guilty of the death of the pilots and has convinced herself that Larry is alive. She will not believe him dead, as this involves the further belief that Joe has caused his own Son’s death. She expects Larry to return, and keeps his room exactly as it was when he left home. She supports Joe’s deception. In return she demands his support for her hope that Larry will come back. Ann and her brother, George, have disowned their father, believing him guilty. But George has gone at last to visit his father in jail, and Steve persuaded him of the true course of events.
CHRIS KELLER has been changed by his experience of war, where he has seen men dying for their friends. He is angry that people do not recognise selfless act of his dead friends. He does not want to make money out of a business which does not value the men on whose hard work it relies.
For Chris the word ‘father’ means the personification of goodness and infallibility there was a strong relationship between Chris and his father, Joe. Everything Joe had done in his life was for Chris. His entire factory was intended for Chris once he realizes that his father had been lying to him because he wanted the best for him he feels betrayed “I have been made yellow”.
ANN DEEVER shares Chris's high ideals but believes he should not feel ashamed by his wealth. She disowns her father whom she believes to be guilty. She has no wish to hurt Kate but will show her Larry's letter if she remains opposed to Ann's marrying Chris.
KATE KELLER is a woman who loves, her neighbours' children and George. Although she is such a loving person, she is capable of supporting Joe in his deceit. She refuses to believe that Larry is dead as that would mean to her his death was a punishment of Joe's crime so she persuades herself that Larry still lives. Joe thinks that the idea is ridiculous, but must tolerate it to secure Kate's support for his own deception.
Dr. JIM BAYLISS is a man who, in his youth, shared Chris's ideals, but has been forced to compromise, Jim feels frustrated as he is very disillusioned Jim is the character speaking for the playwright (Arthur Miller).
SUE BAYLISS is an cynical woman, whose ambitions are material wealth and social acceptance. She does not mind Joe’s awful crime as she has not the moral values as her husband and Chris.
GEORGE DEEVER Chris’es friend who had always admired him. In the war, he had been very brave. He follows Chris in believing that Steve is guilty but when the truths comes out He is bitter because he thinks Chris had deceived him.
LYDIA. She is a simple, warm and affectionate person Her meeting with George is painful to observe: she has the happy home life which Joe had lost this is why Joe refuses to go and see her babies
FRANK LUBEY is a materialist. He is not very intelligent but has made money in business, and he courted Lyda during the war.He believes in horoscopes which seems to support to Kate's belief that Larry is still alive.
Miller made Joe not to be a very bad man. He loves his family a man who is a loving, very responsible father, he had built a business from nothing just trough hard work. This is something society does approve of and therefore the reader believes that Joe is innocent. Miller wants to convince the reader totally of Joe’s innocents and that is the reason for the two characters Chris and Ann believing Joe rather then Steve.
He may think he has got away with his crime, but is troubled by the thought of it. He relies on his wife, Kate, not to betray his guilt.
Even people who know of his guilt stood by him because he is a respected man in Society.
Keller himself has to work hard to maintain his ignorance towards his crime and when he goes through the slow and painful process of realisation, that he had killed people who he had thought were unrelated to him, but were actually all this sons, he commits suicide. This is an acceptable ending for the reader, who does not hate Joe, he will feel pity for a man who had been obsessed with providing for his family, so much that it did not matter to him, whether he was lying or blaming others for his actions.
The irony is that a man who had hold Family value so holy destroyed so many other families.
Quotation
The quotation “We are the cause of our own obstacles,” by Meister Eckhart is very representative of how life is. The means that the problems in one’s life are caused by another person’s actions.
