The story revolves around the Lambert family, a midwestern clan that consists of overbearing housewife Enid, increasingly paranoid patriarch and incapable retired engineer Alfred, sons - successful but depressed Gary and intellectual while aloof Chip - and the confused perfectionist daughter - Denise.
For me, the story of Gary was the most intriguing and personal. He suffers from the affliction of being born first in a family. Gary accepts the mantle of responsibility precariously, as someone that is both deeply imbued with tradition and intelligent enough to recognize its shortcomings. Gary's relationship with his family is a patriarchal traditionalist's nightmare. He is the breadwinner and provider, yet he is constantly belittled by his wife and children for his archaic views. In one scene, Gary, prodded by his mother's insinuations, tells hopelessly modern wife Caroline that he wants to cook less. Caroline responds that they can go out to eat more then. Gary replies that he wants to eat in more and cook less. Caroline calmly suggests ordering more take-out. When Gary says he wants more home-cooked meals prepared by someone other than himself, Caroline responds logically, that his request to include the rest of the family in a ritual that only he cares about, makes no sense. Gary struggles with the inversion of the familial hierarchy he was accustomed to, and the one by nature of his gender, he was to accept the highest seat in.
