Summary

“What Can You Do with a General” takes place in a suburb of Southern California. John and Linda are a married couple in their sixties. John has made a living as a fairly successful construction contractor. They have three children, who are visiting them for Christmas. Sam, the oldest, is 30 years old. On December 23, Sam is the first to arrive at John and Linda’s house. Their youngest, Chloe, is in her early-to-mid-twenties. Her only current occupation is an unpaid internship; John and Linda pay her rent. The last to arrive is Sasha, who is in her mid-to-late twenties. John bears some internal resentment towards his children’s relative lack of distinct ambition or career plans. Sasha arrives annoyed that the airline lost her luggage. The family pet is an elderly dog named Zero, that...