The Humans

Deirdre is the mother of Brigid and Aimee and the wife of Erik. She, like Erik, represents the economic hardship that their middle-class family experiences. While Erik has toiled away at a job meant to provide for his daughters’ education, she works in a role in which she is chronically undervalued: “[M]y salary doesn’t reflect [my experience], and […] I’m working for two more guys in their twenties, and just ’cause they have a special degree they’re making five times what I make, over forty years I’ve been there, Rich” (50). Despite her experience and work ethic, Deirdre is passed over and underpaid because of her lack of degrees. 

This aspect of her character illuminates the cracks in the foundation of the dream of the middle class. Deirdre cannot rise up without a degree, but with the responsibilities of her family and their financial situation, she cannot pursue further education to get more qualifications. To cope with this disappointment, she throws herself into her faith, speaking with Brigid and Aimee about how it helps her understand the world. She volunteers and constantly puts others ahead of herself, trying to find control in her increasingly uncertain life.

Deirdre’s pursuit of control and the need to feel more comfortable amid the instability is also reflected in Deirdre’s perception of wealth and poverty. When the Blakes discuss the revelation of Richard’s trust fund, Deirdre advocates for how financial struggles can benefit people: “What makes a person powerful and influential and wealthy is not growing up with power and influence and wealth. That’s what the e-mail said, anyway…(caught off-guard by her emotions)…the gift of poverty is a…it’s not a myth, it’s a real thing, it can be a blessing” (101). Deirdre believes that poverty and struggle can be a gift and teach people the value of hard work and faith, as opposed to the ease of wealth. Her stance on wealth and poverty are in keeping with the Catholic principle that “the meek shall inherit the earth” in the Gospel of Matthew (5:5). 

Deirdre desperately seeks a sign that her struggles mean something rather than being random chance. Her faith leads to clashes with Brigid and Aimee, who both reject their mother’s faith and explain that they see their lives as coincidences layered upon each other, making them a foil to Deirdre.

Brigid is the youngest daughter of Erik and Deirdre and is Richard’s girlfriend. Despite her excitement at hosting her family for Thanksgiving at her new apartment, Brigid feels out of place in her family. She is quick to bicker with her sister and parents, and despite her displays of charity, she often finds herself being judged. 

When the Blakes realize that Momo, in a wheelchair, will have to leave the apartment, take an elevator, and reenter the apartment upstairs to use the bathroom, Brigid quickly takes responsibility: “Yeah but…I’ll take her back up if…(Deirdre sighs) Sorry, I forgot about her wheelchair” (35). Despite her admission of forgetfulness and assurance that she can handle it, Deirdre admonishes her: “Yeah, I know you did” (35). Deirdre’s comment highlights the dynamic between Brigid and the rest of her family: She is the baby and works hard to feel and appear independent. Despite her efforts, she consistently feels as though she lets down her parents and bristles at any suggestion that she is making the wrong decision. She is a foil to Aimee in this way, as she often bickers or incites conflict to make a point or assert her independence, while her sister plays the role of mediator, putting peace above all else.

Despite the tension and arguments, Brigid proves to be a dynamic character after Erik’s admission of his affair and financial troubles. She follows in the footsteps of her sister and takes a conciliatory approach to her father. Even after their fight and harsh words, Brigid empathizes with her family, realizing that they are all struggling and that her parents are not the infallible and steady figures they have appeared to be. Rather than letting her father leave angry, she offers to accompany him and the others: “I can ride with you guys to Penn Station…I’ll get out with Aimee there, take the subway back…it’s not far” (148). 

Brigid’s decision to join the family on the way out, rather than ending the night angry with unresolved emotions, shows how Brigid grows over the course of the dinner. Throughout the play, she is so intent on proving herself, even at the expense of others. In this excerpt, though, she puts that aside, no longer looking to others for support or approval but deciding that she can offer support to her family as well.

Aimee is the eldest daughter of Erik and Deirdre and enters the play in a vulnerable state. Not only did she and her long-term girlfriend, Carol, recently break up, but her health issues with ulcerative colitis have also led to her being taken off the partner track at her law firm. Despite the obstacles she faces, Aimee tries her best to mediate and promote peace, even when she herself is in pain. 

When she sneaks away to call Carol, her tone is conciliatory and approachable: “I know, I know, I just thought the holidays could be an exception […] I understand, I just wanted to hear your—no I get it, I get it…I’m good, you know?, I’m okay…and you’re, are you upstate with the fam, or?…(hurt, but not showing it)” (64). Though it seems as though the relationship ended poorly, Aimee has not recovered from the emotional toll. She craves hearing from Carol and wants to stay connected. She seems expectant of some kind of reunion, though her responses, often cut off, create the sense that her ex-girlfriend has different expectations. Aimee keeps the pain inside, not letting it out for Carol to hear. 

As the eldest daughter, Aimee approaches her family in a similar way, minimizing her own pain and hardship to support others and keep her family together. Even though she is losing her job, she brushes aside concerns and offers of help from her parents. She does not want the attention on her, making her a foil to Brigid, who draws attention to herself. Aimee does her best to please her parents and demands that they take a car, paid for by her, when Erik drinks too much: “[Y]eah, just charge it to my account…right, it’s—zip is 18433…Scott Township, Pennsylvania,…no case number, take it out of my personal” (125). Aimee is a provider, wanting to support Erik, Deirdre, and Momo, as they once supported her. Aimee differs from Brigid in this manner, as she focuses on what she can do for her parents, whereas Brigid often challenges what their parents will or will not do for her.

Richard is Brigid’s boyfriend and is a graduate student working toward a social-work degree. There is a large age gap between Richard and Brigid, with Richard being the older partner in the relationship. He is an organized and supportive partner for Brigid, helping her through a tenuous time as she searches for a jumpstart to her career. Brigid likes him, and his organization is a clear support in her time of uncertainty: “Rich made up this list of pros and cons…to move in or not to move in…Aimee, his lists…I found one posted to the fridge last week called: ‘ways to have fun’” (80). Richard’s list shows that his organization is not just for mundane tasks but also for emotional needs. He is open about his mental health and easily shares his life with the Blakes. He, like, Aimee, wants to be a help to anyone he can, valuing his role as a support to Brigid.

As the play goes on and the tension among the Blakes rises, Richard finds himself in the middle. When Brigid reveals that he will soon gain access to a trust fund, Richard is subject to scrutiny by Erik and Deirdre. Though Brigid betrays him by offering up this information, he continues to support and shield her from her parents’ judgment: “[S]he’s been bartending at two places while applying for every possible artist grant or residency you can think of” (107). He advocates for her work ethic, confirming that she is doing everything she can do to find success. By doing so, he becomes a foil to Erik, supporting Brigid and recognizing her hard work even when results are not forthcoming. He demonstrates a faith in Brigid that is lacking among the Blakes, creating a dynamic in which Richard provides the emotional support that Brigid craves from her family.