Character sketch of Ann Deever in All My Sons

Write a short note on the Character sketch of ann Deever

Character sketch of "Ann Deever" in All My Sons

Ann (Annie) Deever plays a dominant role as a prominent female character in All My Sons'. She is at the centre of the love interest in the play. Closely associated with the two Keller brothers, Larry and Chris, she is quite a familiar figure for their family. She plays an important role in bringing about the confession of Joe Keller's guilt and gives a definite direction to the action of the play. She is, along with Kate Keller, essential to the development of the plot, and an instance of Miller's skill in characterisation. 

Ann Deever Appearance, Nature and Personality:

Ann Deever is a beautiful girl of 26, with nice legs. She is 'gentle but despite herself capable of holding fast to what she knows.' She is very sensible, intelligent and quick-witted. Ann is the daughter of Steve Deever, Joe Keller's business partner, and sister of Geroge Deever. Ann is of an amiable and accommodating nature. Joe Keller calls her a knockout' or a bewitchingly beautiful person. She is also mentally alert and temperamentally lively. 

Her Arrival at and Stay in the Keller Household:

When Ann left her home in the neighbourhood of the Kellers, a couple of years ago, she was a lean and thin girl ('a scrawny kid). She lived in the house now owned by Dr Jim Bayliss, with her father, mother and brother. But now she has grown into a regular woman or a physically mature one and also gained some weight. She has been a beloved of Larry for some time; but after his death three years ago, she and Chris began to love each other.

On an invitation from Chris, she comes to pay a visit to the Keller family, apparently as a matter of courtesy, but actually with the purpose of marrying him. His stay in the Keller household is marked by frankness and informality. She does not feel ruffled when she finds Chris's parents opposing his marriage with her on the ground that Larry may be alive, and may come back. She tries to win them over to her side by convincing them that he is dead, and by her own conduct. 

Ann Deever Frankness:

Ann is very frank in her manners and speech and does not mince words on any issue. She tells Kate frankly that she does not believe, like he, that Larry is alive. When Kate asserts, "Deep, deep in your heart you've always been waiting for him", Ann categorically denies the suggestion with a firm "No, Kate.

" Another example of Ann's frankness is found in her acknowledgement of her love for Chris when he talks to her about it. She frankly tells him that after Larry's death she wondered why he had not expressed his feelings to her. She might, she tells him further, has married another man if Chris had not started writing to her two years ago. 

As a Beloved:

Ann is a sincere lover. She loved Larry who died after informing her through a letter that he was going to put an end to his life. Others may not believe in his being dead, but Ann does. Hence she feels free and morally right to love and marry some other man. She was going to marry a man two years ago when she received a letter from Chris, in which he had expressed his feelings of love for her.

From then onward, she has been sincerely and deeply in love with him and is greatly loved by him too. When he feels hesitant lest he should be thought to be winning her away from his brother, she tries to convince him that he is not at all guilty of snatching her from Larry because he is actually dead.

In support of the statement, she shows 'Larry's letter to Chris. She also tries to make Chris's mother acknowledge the fact of Larry's death so that Chris may feel relieved of the burden of guilt on his conscience. 

Her Practicality:

Ann is endowed with a practical nature. She is not merely idealistic like Chris. She is unhappy over Larry's death, but she cannot keep mourning forever. Naturally, she plans marriage with some other person. When Chris appears on the scene by writing to her, she accepts him as her lover and is prepared to marry him. When she is invited by Chris to visit his home, she comes to stay there, apparently out of courtesy, but actually with the practical aim of marrying him.

For this purpose, she tries to remove the obstacles coming in the way of their marriage. Ann's practical nature is also seen in the fact that even though she is sure of Larry's death because Larry has informed her about it through a letter, she does not try to convince Kate by showing her the letter, lest she should be shocked on learning about the actual reason behind Larry's death. 

Her Rational Approach:

Ann is highly rational in her approach to various things. She has begun to hate her father, because of her belief that he has been actually guilty of the supply of defective cylinder heads to the Air Force. She does not even write to him or send Christmas greetings to him.

But when she conics to know about the fact of his being innocent, she relents and begins to feel pity for him. However, she does not like to see her brother speaking to Joe or Chris in an uncivil manner, or telling Kate anything in the matter related to her husband's guilt, lest she should feel disturbed.

Ann does not accept Georg's suggestion to sever all relations with Chris simply because he happens to be Joe's son. The rationality of Ann's approach to various issues is seen also in her effort to convince Chris that there is nothing doing in his accepting the money or wealth earned by his father Joe. Ann's rationality prevents her from being Over-emotional or sentimental in various matters like Larry's death or the imprisonment of her father.

Ann Deever Role in the Play:

Ann plays a very important role in All My Sons. She serves as a connecting link between her brother George and her lover Chris, who are otherwise poles apart. Because of her love-relationship with both Larry and Chris, she establishes a link between the past that is dead and the present that is alive.

She serves as a link between the Keller family and the Deever family too. Moreover, it is her exposure of Joe's crime to him, through Larry's letter written to her, that drives him to commit suicide. Ann plays a decisive role in the march of events leading to the tragedy in the play.

She is instrumental in bringing about relief in the burden on Chris's conscience by proving, and making Kate acknowledge, that Larry is dead. She is important also because of her being a part of the happy future life of Chris hinted at towards the end of the play.