The Young Man from Atlanta

The Young Man from Atlanta Summary | Scene 1 Summary

In the spring of 1950, Will sits at his desk at work, looking at house plans. Tom comes in, and Will shows him the plans, commenting that the house costs a fortune but it's the finest house in Houston and that his family deserves the best of everything. He suddenly becomes short of breath and apologizes, admitting he's got a heart condition. As he looks at the plans, Tom asks why Will wanted such a large house if there's only him and his wife to live in it. Will says he's wanted the biggest and the best ever since he was a child, unlike his brother who only looked as far as his next bottle of whisky. Will says he warned his son Bill to not become like that. He proudly says that Bill never touched alcohol and then shows Tom a picture of Bill. Will talks at length about Bill. He was a whiz at Math, and he survived the war and led what Will calls a charmed life. Then Bill walked into the middle of a lake one day, even though he couldn't swim, and drowned. Will says he believes Bill committed suicide but doesn't understand why. When Tom asks whether Bill had any children, Will says that Bill never married but was a good and considerate son. Will adds that his wife has become intensely religious since his death.

A secretary comes in and tells Will he has a phone call from "that same young man." Will says to tell the man that she doesn't know when he'll be in. When she's gone, Will tells Tom that the young man was Bill's roommate in Atlanta. He came to the funeral and cried more than Bill's mother, and ever since then he's been calling repeatedly. Will then observes that Bill's mother, who was always interested in music, hasn't gone near a piano since Bill's death. The secretary returns with a phone number the young man gave her. Will takes it and realizes that it's a Houston number. He tries to call to tell the young man to stay away. It turns out that the number is for the local YMCA, and the young man is out. Will declines to leave a message. He then says he asked his wife's step-father Pete, who was originally from Atlanta but now lives with them, whether he knew the young man. Pete said he didn't. Will pauses and then apologizes for telling Tom all this, but he says that Tom has always been like a son to him.

As Will and Tom make small talk about Tom's family, Will says that family is the most important thing a man can have, even when it's down to only two people. He talks about buying a new car for his wife to celebrate their new home. Tom broaches the subject that he came into the office to talk about. The company has been losing business. Will talks about how the company has survived tough times before. At that moment Ted, the head of the company, comes in. Will talks proudly about the way that he and Ted's father started the company and built it into a thriving business despite Roosevelt, the Democrats and the New Deal. Ted asks Tom to leave them alone, and Tom goes out.

Ted asks how Will's wife is doing since Bill's death. Will asks Ted how his wife is, and then Ted brings up the subject he came in to discuss. He refers to the company losing money and business, explaining reluctantly that Will's way of working is the reason a few clients have left. Will says he's not afraid of competition and changing with the times, but Ted says he's decided to let Will go, giving him three months' notice. After talking about how handsome Will's new house looks and commiserating again about Bill's death, he thanks Will for being understanding and for all the work he's done for the company over the years. As Ted leaves, Will tells him he's planning to start his own company. Ted suggests that under the circumstances, Will may want to leave the company right away, and Will agrees. Ted goes out, wishing him luck.

Will calls the car company and cancels the order for the new car and then calls Tom into his office. He tells Tom what Ted said and asks him to be part of his new company. He adds that it'll be tight financially, but he's got contacts with every bank in Houston and is sure he can get a loan. Tom reveals that he's been offered Will's job. Tom apologizes, but Will abruptly cuts him off, saying he's got to make some phone calls about his financing. Tom goes out, and Will makes his first call.