Outside Reading #3

As Fred Astaire continues to describe his life in Vaudeville and on Broadway he doesn’t seem to have faced many ethical decisions. He still seems young on his path to fame even though he has accomplished a lot. Fred grew up in Omaha and early on in his life his mother takes him and his sister Adele to live in New York. They were going to become stars. This was not decision made by Fred, but his parents had to decide whether or not to separate the family and give the children a better shot, or stay together is little Omaha. “My father was to stay in Omaha and send money to keep us going…As I learned years later, this trip was really a stab in the dark. We were going to New York without so much as a letter of introduction…” (14). The Astaires had to make the choice of doing the more sensible thing and staying together, safely in Omaha, or going on a wire and hope for good results. Mr. and Mrs. Astaire decided to go against what most people would have advised them to do and they moved the children to New York in hope to give the children more opportunity.

Also early on his Fred’s life he describes the first time he danced. He made a decision, whether he realized it or did it thoughtlessly, that would affect the rest of his life. “…I put on a pair of ballet slippers…I had seen other children walk on their toes, so I put on the slippers and walked on my toes. It was as simple as that” (10). Fred doesn’t get too excited over the experience and it doesn’t seem to be a big deal but at the same time it kind of defines his future. Instead of doing what other boys his age did or aspiring to be the same thing as them he went to New York and pursued his life in theater. I think that, even at a young age, Fred went against society and began going after what he believed in.

Later on in his story, once him and Adele and become somewhat big, they begin to get offers from different people to work with them. Decisions have to be made. They sign with a man they call C.B. and their show runs surprisingly short. Then they get another very good offer with Alfred E. Aarons but they are committed to C.B. for the next show. “We called on C.B. when we got back to town and asked him if we could do a show somewhere else and postpone our obligation…”(88). They decided to go against an obligation which would cause some people to call them a type of “traitor” and work with another company because it would be good for them. Eventually they would come back to C.B. after the new engagement was done so following conscience worked out.

Astaire, Fred. Steps In Time. New York: HarperCollins, 1959.

On the Waterfront

In the film “On the Waterfront” the main character, Terry, seems stuck in the middle of the definition of a traitor and a whistle blower. The reverend and Doogan both had the view that if you know the truth you should tell it. If you know what is wrong with a situation and have the knowledge to fix it, it is your moral duty to do what you can. On the other hand all the men at the dock feel that if they stand up against Johnny Friendly they will be considered a traitor. They have all been in on what going on from the beginning and many of them will lose a valuable place on the dock or even their lives if they stand up. The same situation: is your life worth risking in order to help improve the lives of many others?

The majority of the characters in the film believe that standing up is not worth it. They are willing to put up with it all to keep their jobs and money coming they. They all hold the same general view with the exception of few. I agree with the reverend, where if you know how to help a large group of people you should do what you can. What’s the point in just sitting around when everyone is suffering? Of course nothing in life is guaranteed so I can see how it’s safer to just go along with it all, but I think if you have the opportunity and the resources you should stand up. I also think that no matter what you will be seen as a traitor by some group of people for some period of time. I think it’s important to do what Terry did and follow through all the way with whatever it is you’re fighting for.

Question #2

In Arthur Miller’s play All My Sons many characters face situations where their response will either benefit their family or it will benefit society. These are very real and difficult circumstances and often there is no in between, a decision must be made. The most important decision made by a character in the play was Joe’s decision to ship out faulty parts. He had to either accuse an innocent man or risk the ruin of his entire company. It was either the lives the men in the planes or the life he had planned for Chris. His son eventually finds out and demands to know what happened screaming, “I want to know what you did, now what did you do? You had a hundred and twenty cracked engine-heads, now what did you do?” (69). Joe decided to save his company and blame Steve for what happened. He killed 21 pilots and those 21 families had to mourn the loss of their sons. He wanted a good life for Chris, he did it all for his son. Not only that but he ruined the life of another man stuck in jail and affected that entire family. Kate also faces a decision to make either for society or for her family. She refuses to believe that Larry is dead so she spends the majority of the play fighting for his life. At the end of another argument about his death she insists, “He’s not dead, so there’s no argument!” (32). She goes against the sane believe of society that he his dead and causes much commotion with her different view. She desperately tries to convince them that Larry is not gone and the family will be whole one day and it masks the possibility of Joe being responsible for Larry’s death. Annie returns home for the first time in three and half years after being invited by Chris. It becomes apparent that they intend on being married. Ann is not necessarily welcomed by the neighborhood and Sue remarks when meeting Ann,
“…it’s very unusual to me, marrying the brother of your sweetheart” (43). Ann is faced the decision of being with the one she loves or go with what society wants her to do. The neighborhood does not relish the idea of having her back and many arguments could have been avoided and awkwardness spared if she left. Either she could come back to a neighborhood that does not necessarily want her, or, even if it does not relate to her own family, she can stay and create a new family with the person she loves. Throughout the play these decisions and made and the results are seen but the argument on who is right is still out there.

I believe that there is a point where one must stick up for their family because they are the closest and most important thing you will ever have. At the same time I think there is a thin line on some situations as to what is right and saveing the lives of many seems the right thing to do. In Keller’s case I think what he did was wrong. He put another family through very hard situations that they shouldn’t have had to deal with and Steve himself got falsely put in prison and withers away. He also lies to his son, which is who he claims he did it all for. On top of all that he put many other pilots in danger, knowingly, which seems surprising after going through losing his own son to the same war. I think there are so many variables in a circumstance like that, for example, Chris could have died in war, or maybe the company would not have completely died if they had just told the truth, that his decision was not rational.In Kate’s case I think she did what came naturally to her as a mother, protect her son from knowing the truth, and refusing that a member of the family was gone. I think she had the right to her beliefs but after 3 years she should have started to see where the rest of the world was coming from. As for Ann she did the right thing by being where with who she loved. She wasn’t harming anyone else, just because people didn’t like her it shouldn’t have affected her decision, and she didn’t know better than to believe Chris over George. Nothing is ever guaranteed, anything can go wrong because of the variables in an given situation and I think that’s what makes these decisions so difficult. Many people have said that they would decide society if it saved more people. I totally understand where they are coming from and won't understand a parent's love until I am one. At the same time if I ever had to decide between say my brother and the lives of people I don't know I dont think I could live with myself if I let my brother die. It scary to even think about being faced with something like that.




Miller, Arthur. All My Sons. New York: Penguin Group, 1947.