Page 66 - Point 5 Literature Program Option 1 Teachers Guide (2) (1)

• November 25 1943: Having read about his father’s involvement and imprisonment, Larry, Joe and Kate Keller’s
elder son, was reported missing in action off the coast of China.
• 1944: Joe was in jail but managed to have the case against him dropped.
• Friday in August 1946: Ann, Steve’s daughter and Larry’s girlfriend, visits Chris.
• 04:00 Sunday, August 1946: Larry’s memorial blows down.
• That morning: George, Ann’s brother, visits Steve, who was convicted and is serving a sentence.
• Later that morning: The play begins.

6. Act I
• The play commences on a Sunday in late August 1946, at the house of the Kellers.
• Chris is in love with Ann and asks her to marry him and she agrees.
• Ann’s brother George, a lawyer, comes to visit after seeing his father Steve in prison for the first time. Joe Keller
is worried.

Act II
• Kate tells Chris that Joe is concerned George will open the case again, and she won’t be able to live through it.
• Chris promises Ann they will tell Kate that night of their plans to marry.
• Sue Bayliss and Ann have a drink of grape-juice together. Sue tells Ann that Chris is too idealistic and asks Ann
to move away if she and Chris marry.
• Sue puts pressure on Ann by suggesting that Joe is guilty and Chris and the family know about it. Ann defends
herself and Chris’ family but is disturbed because she sees that the case is not forgotten.
• Chris tells Ann he believes that Joe is innocent and she believes him.
• Joe offers Ann’s father a job when he is out of prison, but Chris refuses to have Steve at the plant.
• George arrives and tries to convince Ann that Chris knows Joe is guilty. Ann is caught between two men she
loves.
• Kate enters and calms George down.
• Lydia arrives. It turns out she and George were sweethearts but George went to war so she married Frank.
• Joe and George argue about Steve’s guilt. George seems convinced and agrees to stay for dinner.
• Kate slips and says Joe has not been sick for 15 years. But he called in with supposed ‘flu on the day Steve
shipped the cracked heads to the USAF. George picks this up and starts to ask Joe questions.
• Frank arrives with Larry’s horoscope to say the day he is supposed to have died was his favorable day and
therefore he is still alive.
• Kate believes Frank and tells Ann and George to leave. Ann refuses.
• Chris insists he and Ann will marry.
• Kate tells Chris that if Larry is dead, Joe killed him.
• Joe admits his guilt to Chris at last and tries to explain his actions. He did it to save his business for his family.
• Chris storms off, weeping, unable to forgive Joe, who is heartbroken.

Act III
• Ann tells Kate she knows Larry is dead, and to tell Chris. Ann shows Kate a letter she has from Larry.
• Chris comes back and tells Ann and Kate that he is going away to start over.
• Ann begs to go with Chris but he says he is not good enough for her, as he cannot bring himself to send his
father to prison, where he belongs.
• Joe confronts Chris and they argue about Joe’s guilt.
• Ann gives Larry’s letter to Chris; Kate tries to stop Joe from hearing it, but it is too late. Chris reads the letter
aloud: it describes how Larry heard about the cylinder heads, and realizing his father’s guilt, he couldn’t bear to
live anymore.
• Joe goes inside the house to get his jacket and turn himself in; a shot is heard. Joe has committed suicide.

66 all my sons