All My Sons Setting and Symbolism

Setting: Place The entire play takes place the Keller’s back yard. This is important as it is a semi-public private space: it is essentially private property, but in the USA it is culturally thought of as a space open to neighbours, and so does not provide true privacy. The openness of the yard contrasts starkly with the secrets which are hidden within the family. The setting of the play, and the ease in which characters move around it symbolises the involvement of the wider community in the Keller’s family crisis. The yard also brings out the nostalgic regret of Ann and Chris. It is such a familiar space that the characters struggle to escape from the identities they had when they were younger, which are tied to it. Ann is Larry’s girl there, and Chris is always his brother. The house itself is an imposing presence in the play. It represents the American Dream which, on the surface, the Keller’s appear to have achieved.

Setting: Time The action of the play takes place over a single day. This gives the play a sense of immediacy, and as the action progresses the audience feels an increasing amount of tension. The bustle creates many opportunities for people to be in the wrong place at the wrong time and therefore reveal secrets within a very short space of time. This also shows how quickly years of lies and deceit can be overthrown and exposed.

Larry’s Letter and Baseball Glove Larry’s letter, which Ann reveals in Act Three, is a symbol of finality. The past has finally caught up with the Kellers and the period of their lives which was overshadowed by Larry’s disappearance is finally over. Kate finds Larry’s baseball glove, (pp. 17) but it is not a symbol of Larry after his disappearance, as the tree and letter are. It represents Larry as a carefree adolescent, before he went off to war and the other characters’ lives were tainted by his disappearance.

Symbolism: The Apple Tree The apple tree planted in memory of Larry is the most prominent symbol in the play. It represents his continued presence in the Keller’s lives: they planted the tree after hearing of his disappearance, and this marked the beginning of Kate’s fantasy that he is still alive. It is significant that the tree falls on the day the truth about the shop incident is revealed. (pp. 17) Chris chops up the remains of the tree and hauls the timber out of view at the beginning of Act Two, symbolising the annihilation of their lives as they know them. This also foreshadows the confrontation Chris will have with his father and mother at the end of this act, as he is finally ready to take full control of his life: he removes the symbol of his past. In removing the tree he metaphorically banishes the ghost of his brother, which has been overshadowing his life.

Symbolism: The Apple Tree For Kate, the tree is a symbol of her son’s death: when it falls she views it as a confirmation of her belief that he is still alive, because a supernatural force has removed the offensive symbol. There is a biblical parallel in the symbol of the apple tree: in the Garden of Eden, when Adam and Eve ate the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, they became self-conscious and ashamed. Joe and Kate deliberately hide their own shame, and the falling of the tree symbolically begins the process of judgement.