To what extent can All My Sons be regarded as a tragedy?

Overall i believe that with comparison to Greek tragedies it can be regarded as a tragic play since many of the included elements are quite similar. All my sons contains many tragic elements throughout the play.... starting with the death of Larry and ending with the death of Joe. Most tragedies include at least one death as death is a universal tragic element, which anyone can relate to making it a world wide interpretation of tragedy. This is proven in Homer's Odyssey as throughout the play Odysseus's crew are killed by the many beasts that they come across in their journey home.

Tragedy can be interpreted by many different factors as long as there is a sad element whether its the loss of a loved one or the break up between a couple. All My Sons includes deaths, conflicts, the forbidding of a marriage, betrayal etc which are all key factors of tragedy, and although it includes many incidents like this there are still moments of happiness that are incorporated into the play. This is also again the The Odyssey as the main story is about a man ; Odysseus who has been kept away from home for 10 years and eventually returning after experiencing many hardships..... although the basis of these plays are tragic they both have elements of some moment of joy.

Although All My Sons isn't a traditional tragic play it incorporates all of the key factors needed so is therefore a tragedy in its own right. It also includes a tragic hero (Joe? in All My Sons and Odyseus in The |Odyssey)and many characters that are effected by the main characters behaviour i.e Chris, Ann, Kate..... which can lead to more tragedy.

All My Sons Acts 1, 2 & 3

Act 1

Just like most tragedies All My Sons starts with a pre-story tragedy.... a background and a moulding for the rest of the plays events. This plays first tragedy is that Larryy went missing a few years previous in WW2 roughly the same time 21 pilots were killed when plane engines that were sent from Joe's business blew up.
This is a tragedy that many feel.... the 21 pilots dying are a major tragedy for their families and for both the Kellers and the Deevers as it was the Keller's family business that supplied it and the Deevers that suffered since George and Ann's dad went to jail for it.Because of this both Ann and George lost their father and not only that since Larry was missing, presumed dead George had lost a friends, Ann a partner and the Keller's a son/brother.This incident effected Larry's mother Kate especially as she has never fully faced up to the fact that Larry is most likely dead.... instead she lives in a facade that he will return ( pretty much driving her made and making her ill in the process).

The play is established with tragedy from the very beginning.... It starts on a sunny Sunday morning with Larry's memorial tree  having been blown over and destroyed in the night. Frank says that every Sunday should be like this but the tree dying is a very painful moment for Kate as it represents her son and the symbolism of his life, although he is missing it makes her feel as if he is still there; at home with the family. This is not just a tragic moment it it is also quite ironic.

First appearances of characters:

Joe- Appears to have a fun loving nature, take things lightly, conceals his true nature of guilt and sadness over previous tragedy.
Jim & Sue- minor characters with marital tension bring a slight uplift to the story as no tragedy has hit them.
Frank- Feeds Kate's need for hope ( blinds her pain) and lets her believe Larry is alive through horoscopes.
Ann- Larry's sweetheart, she lost her partner so major loss for her but a few years have past so she is learning to cope and move on.
Kate- Found out the tree broke at 4 in the morning, she was outside when it cracked so why was she outside in the middle of the night? . When it cracked she cried alone, sorrow that she has to deal with on her own, she is deeply hurting and carries the burden silently. Is it all Joe's fault?
Chris- Optimistic.... he tries to see the best in the world and plans to Marry Ann as he has fallen in love with her although she originally was his brothers woman. Seems to have good morals.

Apart from at the beginning of Act 1 there isn't really any tragic elements that build as this Act is mainly there to establish the relationships between characters and introduce the relationships between them. However you can feel a building of tragedy as the play develops.

One last tragic element for this Act is with Ann because she has told herself not to pity her father and has disowned him because he may have killed Larry among other pilots. she has lost her father because of this and we know this since she says "It's wrong to pity a man like that. Father or no father, there's only one way to look at him. He knowingly shipped out parts that would crash an airplane. And how do you know Larry wasn't one of them?".

Act 2

In this Act we're introduced to George ( Ann's brother), who is a rather interesting character. From first look you can see he really resents the Keller's for what has happened and believes with every ounce of his body that it was Joe that was responsible for the death of the pilots and not his dad.Throughout this act you can see the growing tension between George and every character that meets him including Kate who George who he is very fond of.

George appears with the intention to take Ann home as he thinks that her being with the Keller's is a betrayal to her family. he believes that her being in the presence of them will cloud her judgement and taint her. However he then finds out that Chris and Ann  plan to marry each other which George is completely against.... this moment is an emphasis on the tragedy that has unfolded on George as he is torn between the loyalty to his dad and the loyalty to his sister.... if he forbids the marriage he may lose her but if he doesn't he feels that it would be a betrayal not just to his dad but also to his mother. this moment though isn't just a tragedy for George but also for Ann as her brother wont allow or consent the marriage. Ann deeply loves Chris and the closest family she has disagrees with her choice in a husband. It's as if she has tried to move on but it doesn't work .... she cant get out of the tragic spiral.

The matter doesn't resolve there though as not just George forbids this joining but also Kate. When Kate finds out that Chris and Ann plan to tie the knot  it effectively brings back previous pain. She cant face that Larry is dead so she feels like Ann and Chris have betrayed Larry . It also makes her realise that they have given up hoping that Larry is alive since they are both happy to move on which gives her a sense of desperation. She has been stripped of her former self since she can't move on and this is reinforcing the suffering that has been inflicted upon her. This is also a tragedy especially to Chris as he really wants his mother to accept this joining and give consent towards them being together but when she forbids them from getting married it upsets Chris since he doesn't want to hurt Kate anymore than she is already hurting.... he wants his mum to be okay again like she way before.

Just after this Kate then states that if she admits that she has lost Larry then she must face that she has lost her husband (saying that Joe is the reason that Larry is dead).... what does she know??

Once it is just Chris, Kate and Joe in the story the full events unravel and we finally find out the truth about who is responsible for the death of the pilots and possibly Larry... Joe was the one in charge of the planes crashing not Steve. Joe was the real criminal and when Chris hears this he feels so betrayed and hurt this may be one of the biggest tragedies that Chris will deal with ( apart from the death of Larry) as he always looked up to his father and saw him as an honest man with morals. Now this tragedy has brang a sense of realisation to Chris that in fact the world isn't ally joyous occasions, its corrupt and unjust. It's also tragedy for Kate as she has carried the burden of this secret for many years and we can now see why she is in such denial of admitting that Larry is dead. She doesn't know what to do because she loves both her son and husband but because her husband is guilty it has in a way driven her slightly mad. The dilemma was unbearable.

Act 3

Now Act 3 has two main tragic occurances.... the letter and the death of Joe Keller.We start off very early the next morning   as Kate is waiting for Chris to return home, after speaking to Jim and then joe ( where they start to argue) Ann walks outside where Kate and her both start to share conflicting views. Eventually the main problems arrives... the letter. Ann tells Joe to go inside upon which Ann shows Kate the letter to clear everything in an attampt to persuade Kate to allow her and Chris to get married however Ann doesnt anticipate Kates reaction properly as she begins to crack. Although this would have been a targic moment for Ann when recieving the letter the main tragic moment in the part of the play is all on Kate. She stornlg yhoped that her son Larry would eventually return home however this is the certification of his death and not just that; it explains the reason to which he commited suicide ( Joe causing the death of the pilots). Not only has she found out that Larry is officially dead but it's because of his father Joe.... This would be such an awful moment for a mother and now she is left with the altermation of whether to tell Joe or not, she either destroys her husband or lies point blank to him.

However as the play develops Chris and Joe also find out and this is the icing on the cake for chris as he already resents his fathers behaviours and feels betrayed. To now find that his brother killed himself because of this reason destroys not only Chris but all of them.... especially Joe. Although before now Joe has never shown any remorse for his actions this could be seen as a turning point and his moment of realisation on what he has done and what his actions have caused.

Now events unfold ina rather quick pace unlike in the rest of the play. As the play draws to an end the last tragedy takes place.... the death of Joe. He pretends that he is going inside to fetch his jacket so that he can turn himself in to the police however he instead shoots himself to avoid this outcome of shame to the family. This final act of Joes is the tip of everything not only have the family lost Larry but now Joe and after finding out all this dreadful news. I consider this action of Joes to be very cowardly as he commits suicide as not to go to jail and also because he doesnt consider how his death will affect everyone. Now Kate only has her son who was set to leave home just before and Chris has lost every male role model he ever had.

Although the war ended a few years ago you could consider that this family never left the war until the closing of the play.... throughout the years there has been unresolved issues and problems eventually all unfolding with many secrets and hardships returning, this all being concluded with the death of Joe.... this wasnt just the ending to the play but the ending of the family's own war and problems.... its a turning point in all their lives.

The Great Gatsby: Chapter 3

Wer’e brang straight into a description of Gatsby's parties and the elaborated scale of them. It's showing the major contrast between Myrtle's and Gatsby's parties, again highlighting Nick's obsessions with social class and how he focuses on the differences with in depth descriptions.

Gatsby's parties:

• Nick covers all the senses when giving information on the extravagance of them i.e colours and tastes.
• They drinks provided at these parties are hard liquors which had been banned in the U.S and Nick states how most of the girls are too young to realise they are committing criminal acts.It also shows that Gatsby has so much money that he's above the law, he can get what he want by buying it if needs be.
• Party is excessive and garish (colours are bright i.e yellow) which aren't colours associated with the posh (Purple,rich colours) like Tom and daisy had at their house.
• These parties aren't about showing off which many would interpret them as.he has spent lavish amounts of money which he has spent all of his life earning. In a way it is madness.... why does he waste it? could he be seen as dangerous?

Gatsby:

• No one really knows him, they couldn't distinguish from a crowd in his own house.
• there are many rumours about Gatsby that are floating around in their society (he killed a man and is a German spy),no one at the party properly knows him... why is he so elusive?

These are the first things we hear about him so it gives the reader an uncertain impression on him, he's still mysterious yet were given a big impression that he's actually a dangerous man who is trying to cover his tracks.

• He's absent from most of his party
• There's a contrast in his actions and his appearances as he throws massive weekly parties yet he is a recluse
• When Nick finally met him he expected Nick to have known who he was, Gatsby never introduces himself... people know of him but don't know him.

At the end of a party there is a car wreck. Why did Nick include this? the party went well but it turns bad towards the end (car crash). You could look upon this in two ways:

1. That it's symbolic of Gatsby. He acts fine/normal on the outside yet inside he is a wreck
2. It can also be seen as a foreshadowing of what happens in the end, it's a reminder of the potential tragedy that surrounds Gatsby.

Nick then carries on to say that he was more absorbed in his own personal affairs however they appear to be very dull and boring.... is Nick actually a very boring character deep down. He seems to like routines and be content when sometimes left to his own devices.However through his solitary moments he starts to imagine experiences with random women he sees in the streets which also indicates that he longs for another life and the company of others. New York is surrounded by lonely people and nick has formed into one himself. he isn't achieving the social interactions he had previously hoped for and he views excited couples on the night streets which makes him wish he had that in his life.

He tries to feel more popular than he actually is saying he is on a first name basis from the people at his work and that he is making it in the world however we can see this isn't fully true and is exaggerated since when he says they go out to eat they eat food that you may find in a diner.he's in a big business yet he's at the bottom of the pile still.

Jordan Baker then reappears and Nick says he was flattered to hang around her, he likes her and she is also famous so being associated with her would bring his social status higher.he then describes her with no flattening traits which is a weird thing to do when he has decided he loves her. He says that she is a dishonest character.

When he says he thinks he loves her he says he must get out of the tangle from back home, which leads us to think that the engagement he was accused of back home was actually true and not gossip. ( he signs letters to her saying love Nick) he also had a light romance with a woman over summer; meaning if he is engaged then he cheated and this makes him dishonest. This would link to his final comment which is that he is the most honest person he knows which isn't true in the slightest. He has to keep telling himself (and us) that he is a better person than he is.

The Great Gatsby: Chapter 2

There are initially 5 key focused settings in chapter 2:

• Nick and Tom on the train to NY
• At George Wilson's garage
• The taxi with Myrtle on the way to the apartment
• The apartment
• Mysterious location with MrMckee

Although there are many changes in setting it's a very short chapter compared to others, why has Nick given it such a fast paced vibe.

Nick really focuses on the settings and scenery in this theme especially at the beginning, he uses the first few paragraphs to en capture this very dull area which he describes as "a valley of ashes", it's a wasteland and this wasteland is where Myrtle (Tom's mistress) is from. I believe that Nick is trying to show the contrast between Tom and Myrtles world, Tom is from a beautiful expensive area which Nick had previously described with many vibrant colours whereas were now shown that Myrtle is the complete opposite, she's from what seems a poverty stricken neighbourhood, her social class would be the bottom of the chain. This raises the question of how did these two people meet when they have such a different life? why was Tom in such a deprived place when he looks down on people from these classes.

There is a sense of ideology within the first two chapters as chapter 1 focuses around Daisy whereas chapter 2 around Myrtle.nick is showing the equality that he referred to in the first few pages of the novel. He's showing the social differences and contrast between Tom's women. However once you look at all three characters and how they're interlocked amongst each other you realise that they are all using each other.Daisy uses Tom because he has wealth which is the initial reason she married him,Tom uses Myrtle because she is an escape from his dead marriage and Myrtle uses Tom because she is underprivileged and Tom allows her to feel more important. Although Myrtle and Tom constantly refer to how they will be together and how Tom will leave Daisy to be with her in this chapter you know that Tom never plans to do this. he knows that Myrtle will never be more than a fling and she knows deep down that it wont happen either.Although Tom and Daisy's marriage isn't great and it appears they are married due to convenience he plans to stay with Daisy because he's comfortable with her.

One question that can be asked from the beginning of chapter 2 is why did Tom invite Nick to meet his mistress when Nick is Daisy's cousin? also why when in the taxi on the way to the apartment does Tom force Nick to stay with them when Nick tries to escape? Tom and Nick don't even like each other.

Later on when in the fourth location (the apartment) they have a small gathering with Myrtles sister Catherine and the neighbours  Mr and Mrs Mckee, they get rather drunk and all discuss with an essence of light banter which results in Tom hitting Myrtle in the nose (breaking it) because she kept mentioning Daisy. Nick describes this incident very briefly and shows no sympathy towards her which may suggest one good quality as a narrator... that he's a passive narrator. However it also highlights that he spends very little time describing indicents which you would consider as quite impiortant or major in the evenings events, yet he uses extensive detail on the apartment itself; he mainly focuses on the minor occurances. One other thing this incident highlights is that Tom is rather disassociated towards others as he shows no compassion towards his mistress who he has just injured, he shows no remorse and even towards the groaning dog (which had no proper food and was engulfed in smoke) that he had bought Myrtle previously.... however noone at the party showed any slight caring towards this dog.

There are major gaps in the day and how events unfold especially toards the end. Nicks recollection falters as he has consumed  a vast amount of alcohol and so his memory has blurred. After the broken nose incidence it skips to the next morning when Nick is standing beside Mr Mckees bed with Mrmckee on the bed in only underwear "with a great portfolio in his hand". What happened over the night because every other event had occured quite early on in the evening and why was Nick and Mr Mckee nearly naked and alone? I think this information is rather strange and unimportant to include although it does raise question, it even can be related to my first thought of Nick being secretly gay and the fact that he never really comes out (if this is the case) is understandable since in the 1920's it was still seen as a sin, people in those days were closet gays.It's not really relevant to the main story yet hints keep appearing towards this as if Nick is secretly admitting to the world in a way that they may not realise.

Hamlet essay plan:

 To what extent do i agree with the statement "Hamlet didn't learn anything by the end of the tragedy"

Paragraph 1:

• Hamlets inital thoughts after fathers death : depression,apathetic towards anything, cold to other i.e mother/ betrayed by mother and uncle.Many tragic events unfold....
• Hamlets inital thoughts when found out fathers true death:
  • Revenge
  • Madness (acting mad)
  • Hatred and betrayal
• Many tragic events unfold....
• Hamlet may have been the root cause for these occurances.
• Overall outcome i.e EVERYONES DEAD 
• i believe in the end after all of these outcomes he did in fact learn something .

Paragraph 2:

Key events that unfolded and how Hamlet reacted and felt.... did his behaviours or opinions change. Hamlet lingering on death and revenge... blinds him?

• Play and Claudius admitting muder of brother
• Talk with mother/death of Polonius
• Ophelias death

Paragraph 3:

• Hamlets rite-of-passage, realisation of mistakes he made because of the death of Ophelia.....
• repentance and explanaition of what he learnt.
• Too late to change the outcome... everyone dies

The Great Gatsby: Chapter 1

In the first few paragraphs we're introduced to Nick as a character, he gives light detail on his past, his origin and  how he moved to where the story is set. In the first few sentences were given a quote from his father "Just remember that all the people in this world haven't had the advantages that you've had" which i think is a rather weird way to start a recount on a person you once knew, surely the logical way to start would be a brief introduction of the person or even a relevant quote from them... he then goes on to saying that because of this he doesn't pass judgement which is soon shown as a lie since he is constantly judgmental of others. The fact that you only have to look in the first few paragraphs to find faults in what he says may indicate that he isn't a very reliable narrator, which we know because he says that he didn't like Gatsby (the man on whom his recount is on) at first however he believed that Gatsby was alright in the end. This story is only based on the events from a few months so you can see he is also easily swayed which is also a very bad characteristic for a narrator. In these next few pages Nick describes himself and how he wound up in the East just off of New York which is far from home in the middle west of the US, he also constantly refers to status and wealth,bragging aand boasting of his own accomplishments (going to Yale) . I think this is a big clue to what Nick as a person is really like, he wants to be socially accepted and ends up bigging himself up to achieve this. One last interesting point from the introduction is that he only makes reference to men, even when mentioning his parents he speaks only of his father which is a bit strange, this may be of no consequence however this may mean that he doesn't consider women to be worth mentioning (or from first thoughts that he was gay).
Were then introduced to three new characters: Tom Buchanan,Daisy Buchanan and Jordan Baker. The way he introduces daisy gives off the impression that because she has  a high status he is fine with be associated with her since he gives a precise connection to her "second cousin once removed" whereas by the way he has spoken before he treats others who don't have wealth or status differently as if they aren't consequential. We meet these characters when he visits Tom and Daisy's home which is close to his, once he has arrived he gives a massive description on background and minor details such as light banter, also later the scenery. Nick never really describes the person but instead their actions/ behaviours and things that surrounds them  which makes me believe that in actual fact he is never trully interested in the actual people he meets since he may see them as all the same, as long as he fits in he doesn't care who the person is.It also may show that he pays close attention to intricate details and that he is a very perceptive person. 
Once vaguely introduced to these new characters were given a small insight and development on their mannerisms etc. They're all deeply absorbed in gossip, the lack of chemistry between Tom and Daisy and how their young daughter is concerned which was quite insightful as it appears that neither show a major interest in her especially not Tom, it also may mean that both characters are too self absorbed and selfish to properly care for another being which may also explain to a certain extent the constant rift between them both ( no chemistry whatsoever). There is also some romantic illusions that appear which are exaggerated by the setting however even though there are flirtations you know there is no real meaning behind it. These people are all quite fickle and don't really treat others well.... from first glances the wealthy are extremely boastful and self obsessed.
After Nick has left; right at the end of the chapter we get a very brief glimpse at Gatsby. The first perception of him is that he is rather mysterious, we haven't had any information on him apart from that Nick didn't like him at first and the way he is now described is interesting.  he also portrays judgements by suggesting "Something in his leisurely movements and the secure position of his feet upon the lawn suggested that it was Mr Gatsby himself, come out to determine what share was his of our local heavens". gatsby gives off a sense of confidence and comfort in his own stance but this also makes Nick think that Gatsby is possessive over his property and that he is a bit up himself like the rest of people but if this was the case the next presumption is odd since Nick them decides that Gatsby appears to be a recluse and prefers to be alone which isn't the usual behaviours of someone who is self gratified.
Some narrative techniques i've picked up though are that he uses extravagant language to amplify certain areas of the text especially when talking about social status. He also jumps from scene to scene or different areas of the story... this could be seen as a narrative device which is used to intrigue the reader or give them many undeveloped aspects to question. However it may mean that he doesn't actually know how to properly structure the story and gives an insight to the way he thinks, which could be fragmented and easily distracted.

First thoughts on the main characters

Nick

• Easily influenced
• Reserved
• Opinionated
• Unreliable narrator as he is easily swayed and judgmental, he barely mentions Gatsby in the first few chapters even though it is a book about Gatsby, he revels too much on himself and minor details.
• Obsessed with status and acceptance into the upper classes society.He constantly refers to wealth and boasts since he wants to be socially accepted however he's an outsider at this point so is constantly attempting to impress.
• Judgmental. He was taught not to judge by his father and states he doesn't judge however he constantly judges which can be seen when he speaks about Gatsby, Tom and even in some aspects Daisy.

Tom

• Controlling
• Demanding
• Spoilt- everything must go the way he wants it too
• Easily angered
• Arrogant
• Constantly needs to be the centre of attention
• Immediately presented as powerful and that he's the only one that has a say in things since he appears in a dominant, powerful manner ( the way he is sat on the porch when Nick arrives at his home).
• Seems that he challenges others to have a sense of superiority over them.
• Untrusting of his wife

Daisy

• Exaggerates he speech/behaviour which is most likely because she is covering her true emotions of sadness (especially within her marriage)
• Uses charm to get what she wants
• In a way you could say she is weak because she allows Tom to cheat and doesn't stand up for herself but this can be debated.
• Craves acknowledgement and social acceptance
• Easily distracted like Nick, she flits from different conversations
• Tries to blame things on others

Jordan

• Appears to be quite apathetic towards most things.
• relaxed in some ways and does what she wants; she doesn't like to be controlled
• Likes attention and also uses charm to win people over

Gatsby

• From first glances he appears to be a bit of a recluse, he prefers to be left to his own devices unlike the other. He has no real desire to be the centre of attention.