True West

True West Summary | 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 to see their father, and that their father told him all about his visit. When Austin tries to talk to Lee about their father, Lee cuts him off.

Now, it is Austin's turn to question Lee. Austin learns that Lee plans to rob houses in the neighborhood, and suggests he choose another locale. When Lee refuses, Austin offers him money. This angers Lee, who collars his brother and says he can do that to their father, but not to him, that he is capable of taking care of himself. While they listen to the crickets outside, Lee is reminded of a woman botanist who could tell the temperature by the number of pulses the crickets made. Lee says he met her in the desert, when he was making big money with a fighting dog. Austin suggests Lee move in with him and his family, but Lee says that type of life is not for him. Austin asks if he wants to sleep, but Lee says he does not sleep.