The Humans

At the heart of The Humans is the anxiety generated by the family’s money problems. The three generations of Blakes at Thanksgiving represent the path of the American middle class during the 20th century. There is Momo, who escaped poverty and horrible conditions in New York, and her son Erik, who worked for many years at a school and made just enough money to support his children as they pursued advanced degrees and careers. The youngest generation of the family, Brigid and Aimee, now faces more precarious careers despite their qualifications. Throughout the play, the family’s conversations reveal the stress of economic instability. 

Erik is deeply insecure about the family’s finances, thinking that he would have been in a better position at this point in his life: “I’ll tell you, Rich, save your money now…I thought I’d be settled by my age, you know, but man, it never ends…mortgage, car payments, internet, our dishwasher just gave out […] don’tcha think it should cost less to be alive?” (40). Erik reflects on the stress of providing for his family and leading the life they expect. The bills grow while he and Deirdre struggle to pay them, their wages not increasing alongside their cost of living.