During your study of the works in this class, you will be examining the theme of responsibility and how characters demonstrate responsibility (or irresponsibility) toward their fellow humans, society, or themselves.
This blog will be the place where you will keep track of and share your thoughts on responsibility for each major unit.
Friday, April 15, 2011
ALL MY SONS
What is the responsibility Chris is talking about in his speech to Ann on pages 35-36? In a few sentences, explain where it came from and what it means.
Chris is assuming responsibility for the deaths of his fellow soldiers that his father's faulty airplanes probably caused. He begins by giving background the the love and brotherhood that he built with his soldiers. He recounts how they were willing to give their comfort to save another and how they put their lives on the line, not for themselves, but for each other. This recollection is followed by Chris's bitter feelings toward his return from the war. He was angry that he was the only one who felt remorse for the soldiers that died as a result of the planes. He was shocked to see that everyone carried on as if the tragedies had nothing to do with them. All of this weighs heavily on his heart and he now bares guilt for it with the feeling that because no one else seems to care, he must.
In his speech to Ann on pages 35-36, Chris is talking about man's responsibility to look out for one another, rather than indulge in self-interest. Chris' idea of responsibility came from his company while he was oversees at war. He recalls one example about another person at war, who gave him his last pair of dry socks when it was raining. He said that in the army, people look out for others to such an extent that they are willing to die for each other. He uses this example to show how they embodied responsibility.
When Chris is commenting on his transition from War to Home he brings up a new found responsibility. Chris is talking about how each soldier's responsibility was to help and protect the others. They would all live together, fight together and die together. In Arther Miller's writing he commented on the love and and the feeling of belonging that comes with being a soldier. When you get into dire situations, where you are forced to rely on others, and you realize that they rely on you too, it creates an environment of self-sacrifice. Soldier, in both Miller's and Chris's opinion, feels this uncontrollable need to always be there for their men, and that is where the feeling of responsibility comes in.
In war, people risk their lives and die for their comrades. They go through horrible experiences together. Arthur Miller says in “Coming Home” that “No man has ever felt identity with a group more deeply and intimately than a soldier in battle.” The responsibility Chris is talking about is the responsibility to bring that love of man for man back home. The responsibility to take that love and make the world a little bit better by spreading it farther. The pangs of remorse Chris feels when he comes back home is that no one was changed because of his company’s sacrifice. Everything was the same as when he left.
Chris is talking about the responsibility a man has to another man. He explains how men work for each other and then eventually benefit from each other. Chris explains that when he was in the war, fighting side by side with other men, he and everyone else fought for one another, protecting the men who were fighting with them. This led to his analogy that men work to help one another.
In his speech, Chris is referring to the responsibility one man has for another man. He is talking about having love and respect for other people and, in a way, becoming responsible for them. In the war, men are responsible for the other men in their unit--not themselves. Contrastingly, in the "real world," people have soul purposes for themselves and everything they do is to make themselves greater, whether it be in an economical or social way. Chris wants everyone to take responsibility for a person other than him/herself because it will make the world a lot less shallow and selfish.
He is referring to the sense of unity and common purpose that comes from being part of a War effort. When he was in the army, he felt like he was serving a collective purpose bigger than himself. He felt like he had a responsibility to fight, for his whole unit rather than just himself. Now that he's come home, he's lost that sense of collective responsibility. Without this responsibility to guide him, he feels lost. He needs to feel like he has some sort of responsibility to guide him, rather than just be out for himself.
Chris is assuming responsibility for the deaths of his fellow soldiers that his father's faulty airplanes probably caused. He begins by giving background the the love and brotherhood that he built with his soldiers. He recounts how they were willing to give their comfort to save another and how they put their lives on the line, not for themselves, but for each other. This recollection is followed by Chris's bitter feelings toward his return from the war. He was angry that he was the only one who felt remorse for the soldiers that died as a result of the planes. He was shocked to see that everyone carried on as if the tragedies had nothing to do with them. All of this weighs heavily on his heart and he now bares guilt for it with the feeling that because no one else seems to care, he must.
ReplyDeleteIn his speech to Ann on pages 35-36, Chris is talking about man's responsibility to look out for one another, rather than indulge in self-interest. Chris' idea of responsibility came from his company while he was oversees at war. He recalls one example about another person at war, who gave him his last pair of dry socks when it was raining. He said that in the army, people look out for others to such an extent that they are willing to die for each other. He uses this example to show how they embodied responsibility.
ReplyDeleteWhen Chris is commenting on his transition from War to Home he brings up a new found responsibility. Chris is talking about how each soldier's responsibility was to help and protect the others. They would all live together, fight together and die together. In Arther Miller's writing he commented on the love and and the feeling of belonging that comes with being a soldier. When you get into dire situations, where you are forced to rely on others, and you realize that they rely on you too, it creates an environment of self-sacrifice. Soldier, in both Miller's and Chris's opinion, feels this uncontrollable need to always be there for their men, and that is where the feeling of responsibility comes in.
ReplyDeleteIn war, people risk their lives and die for their comrades. They go through horrible experiences together. Arthur Miller says in “Coming Home” that “No man has ever felt identity with a group more deeply and intimately than a soldier in battle.” The responsibility Chris is talking about is the responsibility to bring that love of man for man back home. The responsibility to take that love and make the world a little bit better by spreading it farther. The pangs of remorse Chris feels when he comes back home is that no one was changed because of his company’s sacrifice. Everything was the same as when he left.
ReplyDeleteChris is talking about the responsibility a man has to another man. He explains how men work for each other and then eventually benefit from each other. Chris explains that when he was in the war, fighting side by side with other men, he and everyone else fought for one another, protecting the men who were fighting with them. This led to his analogy that men work to help one another.
ReplyDelete- Scott Francis Hermo Jr.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteIn his speech, Chris is referring to the responsibility one man has for another man. He is talking about having love and respect for other people and, in a way, becoming responsible for them. In the war, men are responsible for the other men in their unit--not themselves. Contrastingly, in the "real world," people have soul purposes for themselves and everything they do is to make themselves greater, whether it be in an economical or social way. Chris wants everyone to take responsibility for a person other than him/herself because it will make the world a lot less shallow and selfish.
ReplyDeleteHe is referring to the sense of unity and common purpose that comes from being part of a War effort. When he was in the army, he felt like he was serving a collective purpose bigger than himself. He felt like he had a responsibility to fight, for his whole unit rather than just himself. Now that he's come home, he's lost that sense of collective responsibility. Without this responsibility to guide him, he feels lost. He needs to feel like he has some sort of responsibility to guide him, rather than just be out for himself.
ReplyDelete