How Does Miller Present Joe as a Tragic Hero

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How does Miller present Joe Keller as a tragic hero In All My Sons? Joe Keller is a man who loves and values his family very much and has sacrificed everything, including his honour, in his struggle to make his family prosperous. He is a self-made business man, who in spite of his humble beginning, has managed to work his way up in the business world and become a successful manufacturer. Joe perfectly fits into the category of tragic hero. Unlike Greek plays, where main characters were kings and nobles for they were thought to embody the whole community, modern tragedies present an average leader of a family, neither completely good nor completely evil, whose mistake leads to his self-destruction. Joe is a role model to his neighbourhood for he is a hard-working, decent man; it is easy to feel identified with him. We see how significant he is among his neighbours since even children have a sense of respect for him. We see this when little Bert says; “Except some kids from Thirtieth Street. They started kicking a can down the block, and I made them go away because you were sleeping”. In the 1940s the American dream was one that everyone possessed. The American dream promised wealth, happiness and anything a citizen could ever want. This concept of perfect life was one that Joe tried his very hardest to live by so that he could provide for his family, most importantly his children. When Keller says “what the hell did I work for? That’s only for you Chris, the whole shootin’ match is for you,” this shows the reader very clearly that he feels it his duty to provide for his son. All my sons is a very tragic play. It shows how a man can sacrifice his morals, responsibility and the truth to provide for his family so that they can live a perfectly plentiful life. This struggle for wealth and material goods involves Keller committing an awful crime due to his greed,

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