All My Sons
At the beginning of Act II Sue complains to Ann about Chris’s “phoney idealism”. What does she mean by this?
.
.
Chris is a family man, and he is devoted to his parents. He is uncomfortable with the success his father's business found during the war, when so many of his comrades died pointlessly. He redirects his discomfort into an idealism and an attitude of social awareness that is foreign to his family environment. Others perceive Chris's idealism as oppressive, asking sacrifices of others that Chris himself does not make as he lives comfortably (if guiltily) on his father's dime. Chris's progressive views come off as condescending and phony idealism to some members of the family like Sue. They are at odds with what this family has based success on as well as the ugly truths they are hiding.