Better take a seat, as what we're about to say may shock you. All My Sons isn't about the Kellers in 1946 America. In fact, if you want to get to grips with the drama, you need to go as far back as 1929 to start figuring out what is going on with Joe, Kate, and everyone else wrapped up in this modern version of a Greek tragedy.

The year 1946 was specifically chosen by Miller as World War II has just come to an end. There's no need for the characters to celebrate, though, because they've just been through fifteen or sixteen years of pure misery. If you think you're having a bad day, try having five thousand eight hundred and forty of them in a row: that's around how many there were for American citizens between 1929 and 1945.