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All My Sons

How can I live my life to not have unintended consequences?

Photo by Rodrigo Rodriguez on Unsplash
Context
Creative Fodder
Medium
Play
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Purpose for Students
Explore Examples
Date Added: 
June 2019

Relationship to Ambiguity

All My Sons is a 1947 play by Arthur Miller, set during WWII.  The play was adapted for films in 1948 and 1987.  It is about a father who takes action to enrich and benefit himself in a way that ultimately (and unintentionally) ends up killing one of his sons.

The play and films deal with moral dilemma and moral ambiguity.

What 

I

 Tried

I have not used it. I have used similar stories, such as the Grapes of Wrath story about tractoring neighbors off of their land. I use it to get students to deal with the moral ambiguity between right and wrong.

What 

I

 Learned

I've learned that students' self-image and ultimate actions are often in conflict. I've also noticed that they easily rationalize the disparity.

Design Abilities Used

The story leaves room for seeing our own actions in a critical light.

Acknowledgements

Submitted by:

Bernard Roth
Bernard Roth
Academic Director & Co-Founder, Stanford d.school, Professor, Stanford School of Engineering

Resources

"All My Sons"
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"All My Sons"

Design Abilities Used

Learn from Others (People and Contexts)
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Permission

This resource is not owned by the Submitter(s). Please consult the original creator/publisher for any questions regarding licenses or usage.

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