Summer Afternoon, Summer Afternoon Summary

It is early June 1940, and Vanessa gives up on her homework temporarily to help her mother prepare dinner. Her sister, Lisa, plays the piano in the living room where her father, fresh from a shower and a martini, listens intently while lost in his own thoughts. Vanessa would give almost anything to be like her younger sister, who is prettier and more popular, especially with the boys. Instead, the boys say Vanessa acts too young.

If only Vanessa could do something right. Her mother is always harping on her to tuck in her blouse or pay attention to something important she was trying to relay. Consequently, Vanessa has decided, without too much effort, that she hates Lisa and her mother because of the huge annoyances they continue to be.

Vanessa wonders if her father can sense her...