Ethics

"Frank: The trouble with you is, you don't believe in anything.

Jim: And your trouble is that you believe in anything." (Act 1: Miller 8)

Here Frank Lubey and Dr. Jim Bayliss are talking about Lubey’s work with his newfound passion astrology relating to Larry’s horoscope. Horoscopes are most definitely based off the ideas of ethics and what one believes morally right within their society. Kate Keller, who asked Lubey to work on Larry’s (her son’s) horoscope was done in order to find out his “favorable day” to see if he was still alive out in the war. Kate believes that he is and also believes that horoscopes are morally and ethically right and should be used more often. But her husband Joe believes that astrology and horoscopes are things are unethical. He believes that they are waste of time and don't exist and Frank is studying a whole bunch of untrue and useless ideas. This display of actions shows to men that believe in two different ethical ways.

"Keller. [...] She thinks he's coming back, Chris. You marry that girl and you're pronouncing him dead. Now what's going to happen to Mother? Do you know? I don't!" (Act 1: Miller 15)

This quote is between a conversation between Chris and Joe Keller. Before Larry went off to war, he was had plans to marry Ann Deever. Kate Keller, Larry’s mom believes that he is still alive out there and Ann should just keep waiting for his return so that they can pursue their marriage. But, since he has been gone for three years, Chris, Joe Keller’s other son has built up a tight relationship with Ann. Chris and Ann wish to marry, but Kate does not approve and tries to keep the two as far way form each other as she can. Joe does believe that if the two were to marry, it would be unethical and unfair to Kate because of all of the hard work she has done trying to find out if Larry is still alive, but little does she know that Ann knows most definitely that he is not because she had received a suicide note from him on his favorable day.

"Chris. For me! - I was dying everyday and you were killing my boys and you did it for me? What the hell do you think I was thinking of, the Goddamn business? Is that as far as your mind can see, the business? What is that, the world - the business?" (Act 2: Line 257: Miller 59)

This quote is a true example of ethics shown in the story because Chris is questioning his father, Joe Keller's right to ship the faulty plane parts in order to support his family and business. Joe went through with his decision, because it was either live or die for his family, and because he is family oriented man he thought that his decision was best. Chris questioned his father, trying to get out of him why he had done such a thing if it were to the risk the lives of 120 innocent men. If it was only for the sake and importance of the business and making money, then why was it right to risk the lives of those of whom you consider your sons and family. Joe and Chris, even though they are father and son, share two completely divergent ethics. While Joe believed it was right to ship the parts in order to save his family, what he considered they most important thing in the world to him, Chris sees the situation completely different. Chris, however, thinks that if he was going to make a decision based upon keeping his family up and hurting/killing others that his choice cannot be defended either way. Joe’s decision brings up range of how far and how ethically someone can support their family, by either risking the lives of others or financially struggling for sometime. There are out there sides in society that can defend this issue either way, based upon how you view ethics.

Mother: " We rushed into it. Everybody was in such a hurry to bury him"

Chris: "The wind blew it down. What significance has that got?" (18)

Kate believes that when they placed a tree in memory of Larry, it happened all way too quickly. She thinks that everyone was in such a rush and before much thought went into the situation, they went ahead and placed the tree there when it should have been placed once they knew if Larry was alive or not. Chris ethically believed that the tree had blown down on purpose, trying to explain to his mother that it was truly a sign that his brother Larry in indeed dead and the act of tree falling symbolizes his death. During this conversation both Chris and Kate are displaying two completely different ethically and superstitious views on whether the tree was planted too early or if due to the tree falling was as sign of Larry’s death.