All My Sons: The Theme of Social Responsibility

In all his dramas, Arthur Miller is concerned with many social issues. The theme of All My Sons is the importance of a man's social responsibility. A man generally tends to think his own interest and of his family's interest; and he does so without paying attention to the effects of his actions on other people. It is a very common interest of every man to look for the welfare and material prosperity of the family. A man generally disregards the interests of other people and he gains his own and familial prosperity at the cost of other people. In Miller's play Joe Keller is such a man. He regards his family as his chief interest in life. He has built up his business for his own prosperity and for the prosperity of his family. But a time comes when he is exposed and considered as victim by his family members resulting chaos and suicide for Joe Keller. The theme of this play deals with the social responsibilities to be adopted by every man for the benefit of the society as a whole.