1. Approaching a theme essay
Friday, 28 December 2018
Jonathan Peel JLS 2015

2. Typical question
How is the theme of ………… presented in the play/poem/novel
Look a the stem: “HOW”: what does this tell us about the focus of your response?
Jonathan Peel JLS 2015

3. Writer’s craft How can a writer present a theme? Use of symbols
Events/character action
theme
Language used in text and in stage directions
subtext
Jonathan Peel JLS 2015

4. TOP ERRORS Reliance on telling the story
Reliance on writing about character
Inability to quote
Inability to recognise symbolism and subtext
Jonathan Peel JLS 2015

5. Guilt in All my sons
How is guilt symbolised in the play ( not who is guilty?)
References to JAIL
IS there a jail in the house?
Is there a metaphorical jail in the house and, if so, who is in it?
How is it represented both visually and in the text?
Jonathan Peel JLS 2015

6. JAIL Joe’s “joke” with Bert Upsetting to Mother- why?
How doers the setting of the play reflect the idea of the JAIL visually?
How might Larry have been in this “jail” before he left ?(Act 3)
How does the initial stage direction about the cost of the house contribute to the metaphorical jail in which Keller finds himself?
What will Chris be able to do at the end of the play if he follows Mother’s advice?
Jonathan Peel JLS 2015

7. Denial of Guilt How does Denial of Guilt relate to the JAIL idea?
Who denies guilt?
Show me denial of guilt in quotations…
How does Denial of Guilt relate to the social message which Miller is trying to communicate in his play?
Jonathan Peel JLS 2015

8. The GUILTY create their own world
Keller wears his release papers as a badge of honour and parades in front of the neighbours – prove this statement
GEORGE will puncture this bubble: he tells the Keller family that the court paper really proves nothing since Keller won his trial on a technicality; the prosecution simply could not prove conclusively that Keller ordered his partner over the telephone to conceal the cracks and sell the faulty equipment.
Jonathan Peel JLS 2015

9. The GUILT is reflected in the American Dream
Keller first tries to rationalize the crime by explaining that he only let the defective machinery leave the shop because he hoped the parts would perform satisfactorily.
However, after Chris forces him to admit that he knew the planes were likely to crash with the faulty engines, Keller justifies his decision by pretending that this was what all American businessmen do
“Who worked for nothin in that war? When they work for nothin, I’ll work for nothin. Did they ship a gun or a truck outa Detroit before they got their price?”
Jonathan Peel JLS 2015

10. Collective responsibility
GUILT is seen as one of the outcomes of ignoring the need for a collective responsibility.
As a result of his refusal to acknowledge his guilt, what happens to Keller’s relationship with:
Mother
Chris
His neighbours
How does Miller highlight the damage to Keller’s personality in the text? Find 3 examples of Keller’s guilt causing pain or anger to himself or to others.
Jonathan Peel JLS 2015