Remains Revision Qn ESSAY

Essay question: 1. At the beginning of the play we are told that Joe is a man whose judgments must be dredged out of experience and a
peasant-like common sense. A man among men. How far do you think the play bears out this statement?
Evaluation of quote and
claim(s) of quote:
Eval of quote #1: Joe does not make decisions that have an underlying intent that was malicious- it was purely out of his desire
to survive
Eval of quote #2: Joe is just like any other person- he is just a plain Joe
Claim: Joe is a simple man whose decisions are made based on his life experience and his practical outlook to life
Possible themes to
address:
Pursuit of the American Dream
Idealism vs Pragmatism
Appearance vs Reality
Approach (what the four
pts would be. E.g. 1
st
pt a
HOW? Or a WHY? Or a
WHAT?)
3 Points on agreeing that Joe was a simple man; 1 Point to show that he is not a simple man
1. Joe lives out what the quote has mentioned because he only sees the world in a myopic view (ie family > society)
2. Joe does live out what the quote has mentioned he only considers his own survival when he carries out his decisions
3. Through interaction with other characters, Joe also appears to be simple-minded his background dictates of this.
4. Joe does not live out what the quote has mentioned he is aware of the implications of his actions, yet he does not take action
about it
Intro+Argument All My Sons artfully presents individuals whose tragedy is amplified by their thoughts and actions. Joe Keller appears as an
individual whose simplistic mindset stemmed from his background- he is slightly literate, in comparison to the next generation.
Hence, his actions are based on his mindset and life experience, and thus, in committing a crime, his punishment does seem tragic
when he justifies his actions for survival and family. However, Joe is not completely simple-minded, for he was aware of the
implications of his actions and takes action to prevent these repercussions from happening to him.

1
st
point TS Joes simplistic mindset presents him as an individual whose world revolves around the family and hence, his decisions are
based on these simplistic mindsets than anything else.
1
st
point ETS Joe holds the family to his highest regard, and nothing else can change his mind about it.
Evidence and analyses of
evidence (at least 3-4
SETS of evidence used)

Pls be mindful that
analyses:
-ans the question/topic
sentence
-foreground themes
-not just focus on TONE

1. Joes repetition of the roles that parent and child play:
- 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!
- A father is a father!
T: Aggressive tone
E: Desperation
M: Joes attempt to reinforce the roles both father and son play was to highlight his beliefs in the family unit, which
foregrounds his belief that his decisions, despite being morally incorrect, was justified, as they were for the family. This
mindset is rather simplistic, as it reflects Joes inability to consider the greater society whom is affected by his decisions, or
how the world he inhabits is becoming increasingly interconnected, and hence, all his actions do have a resulting consequence
on others.

2. Using the family as an excuse to justify his actions:
- (desperately, lost) For you, Kate, for both of you, that's all I ever lived for....
- Nothin' is bigger [than family]!
- For you, a business for you!
T: Stage direction,
E: Distress; anguish
M: Through Joes stage direction, we can see that he appears to be struggling to get the affection of his family and
understanding for his actions. The idea of family serves to reinforce this idea that the family was his justification for his
actions, and to prepare his son for the future was justified as well, though the moral implications serves to highlight otherwise.

2
nd
point TS In his bid to survive in the world that was presented before him, Joe resorts to the basic belief system he has always relied
on. This however, only serves to highlight how his ideals are rather simplistic.
2
nd
point ETS Joe believes that to survive in the world, he has to do whatever it takes to achieve the American Dream. However, he does not realize
that this is merely one aspect of achieving success, for material-wise, he has achieved success, but he fails to realize that there was
more to the money than it seems.
Evidence and analyses of
evidence (at least 3-4
SETS of evidence used)

Pls be mindful that
analyses:
-ans the question/topic
sentence
-foreground themes
-not just focus on TONE
1. Giving justification to his actions and giving excuses for his profits
- Because it's good money, there's nothing wrong with that money.
- Well, somebody's got to make a living.
- And the money, there's nothing wrong in your money.
T: Repetition of the idea of money being good
E: Suspicion; deceit
M: Through Joes constant justification of the money being clean or good, it served to reflect how he views the money with
some guilt, as he know of his crime yet being a victim of circumstances, he chooses to ignore the implications of his actions.

2. Using the American Dream as his justification for the actions he took for the crime.
- I'm in business, a man is in business. A hundred and twenty cracked, you're out of business. You got a process, the process
don't work you're out of business. You don't know how to operate, your stuff is no good, they close you up, they tear up your
contracts. What the hell's it to them? You lay forty years into a business and they knock you out in five minutes, what could I
do, let them take forty years, let them take my life away? (his voice cracking) I never thought they'd install them. I swear to
God. I thought they'd stop 'em before anybody took off.
T: Repetition of the idea of business
E: Pathos (for Joe); disgust (for Joe and Chris);
M: Joes repeated use of business serves to show how he was disillusioned by the pursuit of the American Dream, for he
naively believes that by pursuing material wealth and success, he justifies his actions for the crime.


3. Reference to money
- It seems to me that for ten dollars you could hold his hand.
- It would have cost perhaps fifteen thousand in the early twenties when it was built.
- When you marry, never even in your mind never count your husband's money.
- And he's got money. That's important, you know
- Research pays twenty five dollars a week minus laundering the hair shirt.
- He's taking money out of that business every week in the year.
- Money. Money-money-money-money. You say it long enough it doesn't mean anything.
T: Repetition of money
E: Greed
M: The play revolves around the idea of money and the repeated idea of it serves to reflect how the other characters in the play
are equally concerned about the money they earn. Hence, it could be from here that Joe derives his desire for money, as he
does seem justified in his actions for the crime to get money, for that was the basis of their survival. Furthermore, by
quantifying the amount of money each time there was an opportunity served to remind the characters of the play of its
importance, as well as the idea of grubbing for money, for as it seems, it is never enough.

3
rd
point TS Joe appears to be a simple-minded person by nature, as perceived by how other characters perceive him to be.
3rd point ETS Joe seems to replicate that of animals, with a sort of brutish image that came with the rather primal decisions he makes. Furthermore,
Joe also appears to be much less literate than the younger generation, and these observations of Joe serves to reflect how he was
merely an innocent man who made decisions that was able to save him, though in the process, causing collateral damage.
Evidence and analyses of
evidence (at least 3-4
SETS of evidence used)

Pls be mindful that
analyses:
-ans the question/topic
sentence
-foreground themes
-not just focus on TONE

1. Joes background:
- You ever meet a bigger ignoramus?
- It's gettin' so the only dumb ones left are the bosses.
- My only accomplishment is my son. I ain't brainy. That's all I accomplished.
T: Tone; speech style
E: degrade, deride, ridicule
M: By characterizing Joe as an ignoramus, it serves to highlight his limited education and also seems to foreshadow his
myopic world view, for which he only sees family and survival as the most important ideals in his life. Through his constant
use of contractions, he tends to sound like the illiterate, who uses slangs and contractions in their everyday speech, thus
serving to highlight his limited literacy.


2. In comparison to Ann and Chris
- When I went to night school it was brooch
- Ann: (laughing) Well, in day school it's broach.
T: mocking tone
E: pity; sympathy
M: Through placing Joe and the younger generation side by side, it is through these avenues that we can see Joes ignorance
towards the greater world, despite having read the newspapers everyday. This serves to reinforce the idea that Joe was rather
simple-minded, as even proper vocabulary seemed to be difficult for him to handle. Hence, his primitive way of solving
problems served to highlight the idea that Joe was indeed a tragic hero, for his actions were merely for the sake of his own
survival.
3. How other characters run him down for being less literate
- You can't bull yourself through this one, Joe,
- Be smart now, Joe. The boy is coming. Be smart be smartyou better be smart now.
- I'll wear a bell around my neck George Bernard Shaw as an elephant.
T: Repetition of be smart; comparison to animals bull; "elephant
E: derogatory;
M: By likening Joe to animals, it serves to highlight his limited literacy rate, as well as his lack of knowledge to make complex
decisions or judgements. Hence, he appears to be made of brawn rather than brains, and this serves to present Joe as a beast
or animal than human. Hence, it appears to justify his actions of setting up Steve for survival like that of animals, where every
man was for himself.

Conclusion From Joes psyche, we can see that his actions were not entirely malicious, as the decisions he made were merely as a justification of
his beliefs, though they may not appear to be wholly justified. Therefore, Joe ends up as a tragic hero, as he finally realizes that his
reasons were unjustified for his actions and hence, exacerbates the family crisis and intensifies his anguish and alienation.