Act 1, Scene 1 Summary

Mom has gone to Alaska, leaving her son, Austin, to watch her house and keep her plants watered. Austin is seated at a table with a cup of coffee, a cigarette, and a typewriter, scribbling in a notebook. In his early 30s, he is neatly dressed in stark contrast to his older brother, Lee, who appears to be homeless. Lee is drinking a beer and fishing for information on how long their mother will be gone, interrupting Austin with questions that indicate he feels a bit inferior. Austin is patient while Lee tries to shore up his own self esteem by bragging about his survival skills in the desert, where he lives for months at a time. The conversation only gets intense when the subject of their father comes up. Lee sarcastically asks Austin if he wants a medal for going...