Example essay questions for All My Sons

Typical Exam Questions: ‘All My Sons’

Answer/plan as many of these as you can. We will be going through some of the tougher ones in class too.

 

1. Extract: Joe/Chris exchange (Act 1 pp.15 – 18 from “Sit down, Dad.” to “I’m a pretty tough guy”)

 

Using this extract as a starting point, and with reference to other parts of the play, discuss how Miller presents conflict/tension within parent-child relationships.

 

In your answer, you must consider Miller’s use of linguistic and literary features and relevant contextual factors. (25 marks)

 

2. Extract: Ann/Sue exchange (Act 2 pp.43 – 46 from ‘I think it’s mostly that whenever I need somebody to tell me the truth’ to ‘There’s not a person on this block who doesn’t know the truth)

 

Using this extract as a starting point, and with reference to other parts of the play, discuss how Miller conveys the differing attitudes of his characters towards the Keller family.

 

In your answer, you must consider Miller’s use of linguistic and literary features and relevant contextual factors. (25 marks)

 

3. Extract: Kate/Jim exchange (Act 3 p73 – 74/5, from opening stage directions to ‘You can’t bull yourself through this one’)

 

Using this extract as a starting point, and with reference to other parts of the play, discuss how Miller conveys the conflict between social expectation and personal freedom?

 

In your answer, you must consider Miller’s use of linguistic and literary features and relevant contextual factors. (25 marks)

 

4. Extract: Chris/Ann exchange (Act 1 pp. 35 – 36 from “It’s all mixed up...” to “I’m going to make a fortune for you”)

 

Using this extract as a starting point, and with reference to other parts of the play, discuss how Miller reveals the influence of Chris’ wartime experience on his attitude towards life in post-war America.

 

In your answer, you must consider Miller’s use of linguistic and literary features and relevant contextual factors. (25 marks)

 

5. Extract: Opening exchanges of the play (Act 1 pp.5 – 6, from opening stage directions to ‘What’s the difference, it’s all bad news’)

 

Using this extract as a starting point, and with reference to other parts of the play, discuss how Miller explores theme of appearance and reality.

 

In your answer, you must consider Miller’s use of linguistic and literary features and relevant contextual factors. (25 marks)

 

6. Extract:  Keller/Chris exchange (pp.69 – 70, from ‘You’re a boy, what could I do!’ to ‘I ought to tear the tongue out of your mouth’)

 

Using this extract as a starting point, and with reference to other parts of the play, discuss how Miller explores the conflict between duty to family and social responsibility.

 

In your answer, you must consider Miller’s use of linguistic and literary features and relevant contextual factors. (25 marks)

 

7. Extract: (pp.65 – 67, from ‘He hasn’t been laid up in fifteen years’ to ‘And I’m his brother and he’s dead, and I’m marrying his girl’)

 

Using this extract as a starting point, and with reference to other parts of the play, discuss Miller’s presentation of deception, secrets and lies.

 

In your answer, you must consider Miller’s use of linguistic and literary features and relevant contextual factors. (25 marks)

 

8. Extract: Keller/Chris exchange (pp.69 – 70, from ‘You killed them, you murdered them’ to ‘Chris…my Chris’)

 

Using this extract as a starting point, and with reference to other parts of the play, discuss how Miller develops the characters’ dilemma with the morality of the business world.

 

In your answer, you must consider Miller’s use of linguistic and literary features and

relevant contextual factors. (25 marks)

 

9. Extract: (pp.77 – 79, from ‘Goddam, if Larry was alive he wouldn’t act like this’ to ‘Lemme know when he comes’)  

 

Using this extract as a starting point, and with reference to other parts of the play, discuss how Miller presents the fraught relationship between fathers and sons.

 

In your answer, you must consider Miller’s use of linguistic and literary features and relevant contextual factors. (25 marks)

 

10. Extract: (pp.16 – 17, from ‘I don’t know why it is but every time I reach out for something I want…’ to ‘And I don’t understand why, after I worked forty year and I got a maid, why I have to take out the garbage’)

 

Using this extract as a starting point, and with reference to other parts of the play, discuss Chris and Keller’s attitude to the American dream and capitalist culture.

 

In your answer, you must consider Miller’s use of linguistic and literary features and relevant contextual factors. (25 marks)