Sunday, February 27, 2011

Family

1.
"HELLER: The block could use a pretty girl. In the whole neighborhood theres not a damned thing to look at...
JIM: ...Except my beautiful wife of course.
SUE: Mrs. Adams is on the phone, you dog.
JIM: my love, my light...
SUE: Don't sniff around me. And give her a nasty answer. I could smell her perfume over the phone.
JIM: What's the matter with her now?
SUE: She sounds like she is in terrible pain-- unless, her mouth is full of candy.
JIM: Why don't you just tell her to lay down?
SUE: She enjoys it more when you tell her to lay down" (Act 1. Pg 8-9).


This quote is explaining the relationship between Jim and Sue. Jim and Sue are married couple who don't get along very well. As you can see from this quote, the two are fighting about the wives jealousy over Jim's patient and how Sue has trust issues. I believe their family life suffers due to Sue's insecurity of being over weight which reflects on her trust issues.



2. 
"FRANK: Larry was born in August, He'd been twenty-seven this month. And his tree blows down"(Act 1.Pg 7).


This quote is explaining the significance of the tree to the family. The significance of the tree was that it was Larry's tree. Larry is the Keller's child who we went missing three years ago. He was a big part of the family and he meant the world to them. When he went missing, they planted this tree in order to symbolize him. However, it snapped in half. 



3. 
" CHRIS: maybe we ought to put our minds to forgetting him?... We're like at a railroad satation waiting for a train that never comes in" (Act 1. Pg 18).



This quote is explaining Chris's  thoughts. Chris is trying to explain to his family that they need to let got of Larry and just move on with their lives. However, the family highly disagrees. As a whole, they need to work together as a family and make the change by trying to do things differently and think of other things todo in order to replace Larry and move on with their lives. 




4. 
" KELLER: There's nothin' he could do that I wouldn't forgive. Because he's my son. Because I'm his father and he's my son" (Act 3. Pg.63)

This quote is explaining how Joe really cares for his son. He is displaying that no matter how much harm or trouble he gets into he will push it aside because he loves him with all he has. No matter how bad the situation is, he will protect him and be his wing man. As a result, Joe will always stand by his son no matter what the consequences are of the situation, even if it may lead to death.

Responsiblity

1.
" KELLER: For what! Bert, the whole neighborhood is depending on you. A policeman don't ask quesrions. Now peel them eyes!" (Act 1.Pg 12)


This quote is explaining the conversation between Keller, Chris, and Bert. In this particular quote Keller is telling Bert to be a "pretend policeman" and telling him to keep an eye out for any wrong doings. Although, Bert is just a kid, Keller and Chris are teaching him responsibility by keeping him in charge of watching the neighborhood. This is a great trait to have and it could help Bert out with his future.


2.
"CHRIS: I'm going to ask her to marry me.
KELLER: Well, that's only your business, chris.
CHRIS: You know it's not only my business.
KELLER: What do you want me to do? You're old enough to know your own mind'" (Act 1.Pg.14)


This quote is explaining the conversation between Chris and his father. In this quote, Chris talks about how he wants to ask Annie to marry him and how he wants his fathers approval. However, his father believes he is old enough to make his own decisions. This shows that Chris needs to be careful and wise with  this decision since he is on his own.


3.
"KELLER: All a sudden a batch comes out with a crack. That happens, that's the business. A fine, hairline crack [...] So your father, always scared of loud voices. [...] Took out his tools and he ... covers over the cracks. [...] thats bad, it's wrong, but that's what a little man does. [...] He believed they'd hold up a hundred percent. That's a mistake, but it ain't murder" (Act 1 Pg 28).


This quote is explaining how Ann's father made the mistake of not telling the major that the cylinder heads for the airplanes weren't good. Which is a lack of responsibility. Instead of speaking up for his wrong doings, he kept working on the cracked cylinders instead of just simply throwing them away. If he had just spoken up he wouldn't of been in jail and he also wouldn't be thought of as a murder.



4.
"GEORGE: On the telephone you can't have responsibility! In court you can always deny a phone call and that's exactly what he did" (Act 2. Pg 46).


This quote is said by George. Steve, George's father, said that Keller was guilty and told Steve to patch up the cracks on the telephone. However, when Steve asked him nicely for help, he said he was sick and couldn't come in, which was a lie. Instead of Joe taking responsibility, for his actions and being loyal to his partner, he let Steve suffer and go to jail while Joe went out on a free leaf.

American Dream

1.
" KELLER: You must be inspired?
   CHRIS: Yes. I like it an hour a day. I have to grub for money all day long at least at evening I want it beautiful. I want a family, I want some kids, I want to build something I can give myself to. Annie is in the middle of that. Now... where do I find that?" (Act 1.Pg.15)

This quote is explaining Chris's plan for the future. He is explaining how its his dream to start a family and open his own kind of business. He is demonstrating how he knows what he wants and he doesn't need his fathers consent. He also wants to start fresh from where he has been his entire life. As you can see Chris is very precise and sincere with what he wants in his future. 


2.
"KELLER: Once upon a time I use to think when I had money again I would get a maid and my wife would take it easy. Now I got money and I got a maid and my wife is workin' for the maid" (Act 1. Pg.16).


This quote is explaining Keller's thoughts. Keller is displaying what he once wanted his life to be like and how he strived for his goals. However, in reality, his plan didn't go exactly the way he wanted it too. This is showing how dreams could sometimes change for the better even if their not the exact outcome you wanted it to be.


3.
"KELLER: If Larry was alive he wouldn't act like this. He understood the way the world was made. He listened to me. To him the world had a forty-foot front, it ended at the building line. This one, everything bothers him" (Act 3. Pg.62).


This quote is explaining how Keller felt at the heat of the moment. It also explains how he wishes that Chris was more understanding and agreeing as Larry. It also demonstrates how he would rather see his son Larry alive instead of Chris. As a result, Keller wishes that Chris would be just like Larry.


4.
"KELLER: I'm going to build you a house, stone, with a driveway from the road. I want you to spread out, Chris, I want you to use what I made for you...I mean with joy Chris...without shame...with joy" (Act 2. Pg.41).



This quote it describing Joe's hopes for Chris. He is explaining how he wants Chris to live near him instead of moving out to New York with Annie. He is also explaining to Chris that he shouldn't be ashamed of his money because it got their family along way. As a result, Joe has high hopes for Chris's future and he wants his family to stay local.

Ethics

1.
"KELLER: All kind of business goin' on. In my day, either you were a lawyer, or a doctor, or you worked in a shop. Now...
FRANK: Well, I was going to be a forester once.
KELLER: Well, that shows you; in my day, there was no such thing" (Act 1. Pg 7).

 This quote is explaining the conversation between Frank and Keller. In this conversation, Keller describes his values and out looks on jobs and how people back then would take on high end jobs in order to make a successful pay and living situation. However, Frank thinks this is non sense and continues to look in the want ads for a job.


2.
"KELLER: Oh , Kate asked you to make a horoscope?
FRANK: Yeah, what she wants to find out is whether November 25th was a favorable day for Larry.
KELLER: What is that, favorable day?
FRANK: Well, a favorable day for a person is a fortunate day, according to his stars. In other words it would be practically impossible for him to have died on his favorable day.
KELLER: Well, was this his favorable day?-- November 25th?
FRANK: That's what I'm working on to find out" (Act 1. Pg. 7).


This quote is describing the conversation between Keller and Frank. Frank highly believes in horoscopes and their fortunes, while Keller hardly knows anything about them. So in this current dialog Frank describes a " favorable day" to Keller and the meaning behind it. Frank also explains that if November 25th was a favorable day, Larry has a good chance of still being alive.


3.
"KELLER: In my day when you had two sons it was an honor. Today a doctor could make a million dollars if he could figure out a way to bring a boy into the world with out a trigger finger" (Act 1. Pg. 10)

This quote is explaining Joe Killers values on children. In this quote he is explaining how times have changed drastically since he was young. He is demonstrating how having two sons was an honor to him and now none of these matters to technology. As a result of this, society is changing his overall values.


4.
"MOTHER: Because current things have to be, and current things can never be. Like the sun has to rise it has to be. That's why theres god. Otherwise anything could happen" (Act 1. Pg. 24).


This quote is explaining how mother thinks her son Larry is still alive. It is also explaining that everything happens for a reason because god wants it that particular way. This quote highly represents the mothers values. It also shows how she thinks astonishingly of god.

Character list!

Joe Keller - nearing sixty, a heavy man who has a solid mind and build. He has been a business man for many years, but has an imprint of the machine-shop worker and boss still upon him. He has had two sons, Chris and Larry, he is the protagonist of the story.

Kate Keller- she is a woman in her early 50's, a woman who has uncontrollable inspirations, and has a never ending love. She has worked for forty years and made a decent living for herself. She is the wife of Joe Keller and a mother of her two sons, Chris and Larry. Even though her son Larry has been missing, she still hopes for his longing return. Shes a supporting character to Joe Keller.

Chris Keller - He is thirty-two, he is a lot like his father when it comes to being solid and built and a good listener. He's a man that is capable of being affectionate and loyal. He is in love with Larry's ex girlfriend, Annie and his parents are Joe and Kate Keller. His brother is Larry and he no longer believes he is alive. He thinks the world of his father but little does he know the real truth about him. He eventually develops hatred towards him and his wrong doings. 

Larry Keller-born in August, is twenty-seven years old, has been missing since November 25th (3 years). He is the son of Joe and Kate Keller and the brother of Chris Keller. He was in love with Annie Deveer. His parents planted a tree to symbolize that he was missing, however it collapsed. He is mentioned a lot throughout the play and his mother is affected the most since he's been missing. 

Steven Deever-is somewhere in his mid 50's to early 60's. He is a tiny man who is very timid and soft spoken. He is the father of Annie and George Deever and partners with Joe Keller. His connection to the story is, he took the blame for the defected plane parts that killed several people, now he is in jail in the period of time through out the play. 

 Annie Deever- is twenty-six years old, she is very beautiful and considered one of the best looking in the town. She use to live in the same town as Keller's but moved to New York.  She is gentle but holds on to what she knows. She was once in love with Larry Keller but she is now in love with his brother Chris, which they're getting married. Her father is Stephen Deever and her brother is George Deever. Her connection to the play is that she is determined to find out if her father is innocent and she is Chris's love interest.

George Deever -is thirty-two, he is very pale, he is on the edge of his self-restraint, he is Annie's brother and Steven's son. George is a highly respected lawyer and lives in New York. He believes that Mr. Keller is guilty for the deaths of several pilots and that his father isn't. His connection to the play is that he wants to prove that Mr. Keller is guilty and that that he doesn't want his sister to marry Chris.


Dr. Jim Bayliss- is nearing the age of forty, he is a doctor, he likes to read, he is a very self-controlled man and a very easy talker. However, he has a clench of sadness that sticks to his self-effacing humor. He is married to Sue Bayliss and is the neighbors of the Keller's. His connection of the story is that he is close with his neighbors but he has a feeling that Joe isn't an innocent man. 


Sue Bayliss-is rounding forty, she is an overweight woman that feels that she is obese and is very insecure from it. She is married to Jim Bayliss and their neighbors with the Keller's also. Her connection to the play is to prove that Joe Killer is a guilty man and that Chris isn't a good kid.


Frank Lubey - is thirty-two years old, he is lossing his hair, he is very pleasant and enjoys speaking his opinions on several things, he is very uncertain of himself, and very peevishish when you cross him. However, he always wants it to be calming and neighborly. He is very intelligent and enjoys writing horoscopes. His wife is Lydia Lubey and they have three kids together. His connection to the story is he's neighbors' with the Keller's and they are good family friends. 

Lydia Lubey - is twenty-seven, she is robust laughing beautiful girl, that is great with cosmetics and hair. She is married to Frank Lubey and they have three babies together and are very happily married. Their connection to the story is that their great family friends and are neighbor's with the Keller's. 

Bert - is an eight year old with an exquisite imagination and is very energetic. He enjoys playing cop games with Mr. Keller and loves being in charge of things. The connection he plays in the story is that he is a friendly neighbor kid that enjoys Mr. Keller's and Chris's company.