In the play, “All My Sons”, Joe Keller seems to think that family comes before society. “You’re a boy, what could I do...what could I do, let them take forty years, let them take my life away?” (Miller, 69). Obviously from this quote he thinks family should come first. He did all that he did for Chris, “For you, a business for you!” (Miller, 70). Chris has a different view from his father. “I don’t know what it is, but every time I reach out for something I want, I have to pull back because other people will suffer” (Miller, 16). He’s a considerate person, and puts society before himself. Larry, even though he isn’t a character that actually has any lines, seems to agree with Chris. In his letter to Ann, “How could he have done that? Every day three or four men never come back, and he sits back there doing his business” (Miller, 83). He obviously believes, too, that one’s country is more important. In his eyes, it seems that serving your country is honorable, and for Joe Keller to kill those pilots is treason.
Obviously, ethics isn’t a black and white issue. I think it would have been acceptable for Joe to replace the parts that were faulty. If he couldn’t make the parts, then I would come forward, and I say that I was guilty. I don’t think I could live with the knowledge that I put my friend behind bars, when I too, should be behind bars. In Larry’s situation, I might have reacted differently. He didn’t know all the facts behind the conviction. Also, I’m assuming that he destroyed the plane he was flying, which is Government property. In that situation, I probably wouldn’t have killed myself. I wouldn’t talk to my dad if he was guilty, and if he wasn’t, I would probably forgive him. I think the only way to determine if something is right or wrong is our own opinion. In the end if the decision saves lives, then I would go ahead and do it. If the outcome costs more than I intended, then I would accept the consequences.
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The issue of ethics is always a hard one to debate. When you look from Joe Keller's point of view, you understand that he just wants to keep his family safe and cared for, which seems like an honorable pursuit. But when look at the whole picture, you see that Joe's decision cost the lives of 21 men. This shows me that it isn't always right to trust decisions that are based on satisfying your own needs. Then again, there have been countless instances in history where the rest of society has been wrong, and individuals have to go against the flow.
You talk about ethics as a complicated thing. Ethics itself is a guidline for moral standards. Here thought, there is a clash of values. It would be wrong to hurt your family, and it would be wrong to hurt society. You could say that both possible courses in this situation are wrong. It is just a matter of choosing the option that is less wrong. You have to be practical about things, and logically choose a reasonable course of action. I think ethics is just a gneral trend you can follow, but that it is imposible to always live up to.
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