Curse of the Starving Class

Curse of the Starving Class Summary | Act 1 Summary

Act 1 opens in the kitchen of farmhouse. On stage is a table with mismatched chairs and faded curtains hung to suggest a window. There is a working refrigerator and a small gas stove. There is a pile of wood debris, suggesting a broken door. Wesley, dressed in a sweatshirt and jeans, tosses the debris into a wheelbarrow and Ella, Wesley's mother, enters. She wears a bathrobe and curlers in her hair. Ella winds an alarm clock and watches Wesley. She finally tells him that he shouldn't be cleaning up the mess because his father Weston did it and it should be Weston's responsibility.

Weston left after breaking down the door and he has not returned. Wesley continues cleaning up the mess and Ella puts the clock on the stove. Wesley asks if she called the cops the night before and she says yes because she felt her life was being threatened. Wesley doesn't agree because he thinks his father was just trying to get into the house. Ella had locked the door because Weston was drunk and she believes that he could have gotten into the house by some other means than breaking down the door.

Ella suddenly changes her mood and offers to make Wesley some breakfast. He declines and she starts preparing breakfast for herself. Wesley confides that it's embarrassing to have the cops come to the house, but Ella insists that she did it because she felt threatened. Ella proceeds with fixing breakfast and Wesley continues cleaning up the debris from the door. He details his experience lying in a field, being keenly aware of all that was happening around him. He could hear dogs barking and cars in the street. He details the sounds of a P-39 and how he saw himself as the enemy. He continues on about hearing his father's Packard approaching, the sound of keys, and engines, and a slamming door. Finally, he says he could hear his mother crying and then the freeway off in the distance. At the conclusion of his speech, he takes the wheelbarrow offstage, leaving Ella alone.

Ella begins talking about a girl's first period and how it is easy to think that something has gone wrong with a girl's body, but she wants her daughter Emma to know the truth. Emma enters, dressed in a 4-H uniform, carrying charts for a school project on the proper way to cut up a frying chicken. Ella tells her that she should not go swimming because it could cause her to bleed to death. Emma wants to know what would happen if she was invited to the Tompsons' new swimming pool; Ella is adamant about not going swimming. She goes on to tell her about the importance of where she can get sanitary napkins and that she should never trust a machine in a gas station bathroom; she insists that there is no way that they can be sanitary.

Ella finally changes the subject by inquiring after the charts. Emma explains that they're for a school project and she goes to the refrigerator. The chicken she was planning on using for her demonstration is gone. Emma goes into a tirade as to why her mother would use the chicken, especially since she just put it in there the day prior. She storms off stage and can still be heard yelling about how she raised and fed and killed that chicken solely for this project.

Wesley returns, asking why there's so much screaming. Ella explains that someone stole Emma's chicken, but Wesley gets her to confess that she did, indeed, boil the chicken, not knowing it was Emma's. When Wesley asks whether Emma put her name on the chicken and finds out that she didn't, he hollers at Emma telling her she has no right to be mad because she didn't put her name on it.

Emma has left her charts on the table and Wesley looks them over, confused by them. Ella explains that the importance of the demonstration is the anatomy of the chicken and how to properly cut the chicken. Emma continues hollering about her chicken from offstage and Wesley puts the charts on the floor, unzips his pants, and begins urinating on the charts. Ella eats her breakfast without noticing what he is doing. Ella and Emma shout about whether or not they are members of the starving class: Emma insists that since Ella is presently eating that there is no way they can be a part of it. Ella sees what Wesley is doing and tells Emma.

Emma returns to the stage, glaring at Wesley. Appalled by her family, she insists that she's leaving the house. Ella tells her she's too young, and then tells Wesley that Emma is having her first period. Wesley is less than thrilled by the news.

Wesley defends his decision to ruin the charts by stating that Emma will look back at this moment as a turning point in her life. He then goes and looks in the refrigerator. Ella asks him what he's doing and he tells her he's hungry. She slams the refrigerator door shut and tells him that he can't be hungry all the time; they're poor, but not that poor. She then indicates that they'll soon have more money. Wesley is confused because he is under the impression that his father has just been fired. Ella tries to divert the conversation, but finally admits that they'll soon be able to leave and maybe go to Europe.

Wesley seems less than thrilled at the prospect of going to Europe and Ella asks why he can't be more sensitive like his grandfather. In fact, she points out that he's circumcised just like his grandfather, so he should be more like him. Before Wesley can get an explanation regarding this comparison, Emma returns demanding to know where her jodhpurs are. Emma has decided to leave on the horse. Ella demands that she not take the horse, but Wesley reminds her that she's a good rider. Ella remains concerned because the horse spooks easily.

Ella comments on Emma's temper and Wesley blames it on her being spoiled. Ella insists that Emma is not spoiled, but Wesley insists that she is and that, if Ella didn't do it, her father did.

Wesley asks again about where Ella thinks she's going to get money and she relents and tells him about a lawyer friend, Taylor. Ella has decided to sell the house, land, orchard, and the tractor; Taylor is helping with the negotiations. Ella explains that their land will make a good lot and that people are more interested in buying lots nowadays.

Insisting that she's crazy, Wesley doesn't believe what she's doing. Ella defends her decision by stating that she's the one who takes care of the place and Wesley baulks. He says that he takes care of the place and Ella dismisses it as maintenance and that she is the one that makes the house look like a home. Fed up, Wesley goes outside to feed the sheep.

As he's leaving, Ella yells at him to check on Emma and Wesley tells her that when his father finds out he'll kill her. Ella insists that Weston won't find out.

Ella is left alone on stage; she checks the refrigerator, finding it empty. Emma returns with a rope and covered in mud because the horse dragged her across the corral. Disgusted by her life, Emma claims that she can't stay at home forever and Ella tells her that they're leaving and going to Europe for a new life. Pointedly, Emma reminds her that they'll all be the same people in Europe so it doesn't matter where they go. Ella tells her to change her clothes and Emma refuses. Ella reminds her that if her father was home she would, but Emma insists otherwise. She's had a revelation from being dragged by the horse: that she was just a piece of meat being pulled by a horse. She's also disappointed that she's not continuing on the trip she had planned, which was to go to Mexico and work on fishing boats or fixing cars until she became a novelist. Ella tells her she couldn't do that if she wanted to because she doesn't have the background for it; Emma disagrees. Ella tells her she doesn't understand Emma anymore and that makes Emma happy; she doesn't want her mother to understand her.

Emma opens the refrigerator and Ella asks if she's hungry. She replies that she just opens the door by habit. Ella leaves the stage and Emma opens the refrigerator and starts speaking to the refrigerator, telling it that they are not part of the starving class.

Behind her, Taylor appears and he watches as she continues talking to the refrigerator. When she slams the door shut she sees Taylor and after a tense moment he finally asks if Ella is home. She says she doesn't know, but he counters by explaining that he saw Ella's car out front. Emma informs Taylor that the car belongs to her father and that he has a penchant for strange cars: he has a Packard and a Kaiser-Fraser.

Taylor introduces himself as Ella's lawyer and Emma immediately thinks that her mother is in some kind of trouble. Emma tells Taylor that he's creepy. Taylor asks what happened to the door and Emma tells him that her father did it because he was angry. She also tells Taylor that Ella is no businesswoman and suggests that he is using her for something. He feigns being insulted and takes a seat at the table. Emma continues talking about her father's temper and how it runs in the family and Taylor asks if she gets scared living with that kind of violence; she says no.

Emma sits across the table and stares at him. He begins speaking nervously about what a nice house they have, indicating the location and its potential more than the actual house. Wesley enters and Emma tells him that Taylor is a lawyer. Taylor identifies Wesley as Ella's son and Wesley leaves. Taylor comments that he feels like he's on enemy soil and Emma assures him he is.

Wesley returns with a lamb and puts it inside a fenced area in part of the kitchen. The lamb has maggots and Wesley is trying to treat it. Emma wants him to get the lamb and its germs out of the house. Wesley dismisses her and then asks what Taylor is doing there. Taylor says he doesn't need to justify his presence to them because he's there to see Ella. Emma and Wesley begin an argument about where they are going to live if they sell and that their father will never agree to it. Taylor suggests that he may have to regardless.

Ella finally enters wearing a dress and gloves. She tells Taylor that she wasn't expecting him so early and he tells her that he was running ahead, saw the car, and stopped in. Emma asks why Ella is selling the house and Taylor apologizes for letting it slip that Ella was planning on doing so. Emma tells her that if she sells the house, she'll leave forever and exits. Taylor tries to make nice with Wesley, but is met with coldness. Taylor and Ella leave.

Wesley looks at the lamb and explains that the lamb is lucky that he's not really starving or that he's somewhere else where people are hungry, because the lamb would be dead.

Weston clamors in with a grocery bag, having knocked over garbage cans. Hearing his father shouting, Wesley ducks off stage. Weston enters and immediately asks what the lamb is doing inside the house. He goes to the refrigerator and finds it empty and he begins griping about how everything, including shopping and maintenance, is left up to him. He declares that all the refrigerator is good for is slamming the door.

Wesley comes in and Weston is emptying the grocery bag of artichokes. Weston explains that he picked up the artichokes in Hot Springs when he went out to see some land that he purchased. With all the artichokes put away, Weston starts tending to his bag full of laundry. Wesley asks about the land, which he knew nothing about. Weston explains that he bought it from a man who told him that it was a good investment and that he put money down on the land. Wesley asks how much he put down and Weston tells him it's none of his concern and admits that the land is worthless.

Weston asks where Ella is and Wesley tells her he doesn't know. He tells Wesley that when she gets back she needs to do his laundry. He asks why the lamb is in the kitchen and Wesley tells him about the maggots. Weston then tells Wesley that he's been thinking about selling the place and that he shouldn't tell Ella. He's even considering buying some land down in Mexico.