The family is gathered at their summer home because that is their home during the off-season. Why is Edmund home? Why does Jamie come home with his parents when they have such resentment for each other?

What issues do the family members bring up about one another? Does anyone stand out as being more problematic than the others? Is any one person at fault for the family’s misery?

As the play progresses, so does Mary’s use of morphine. Based on the text, is Mary’s use of morphine abnormal compared to her previous issues with substance misuse? What might be different this time?