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Summary
Simeon and Peter tell Eben over breakfast that they’ll sign once they see the money and that they won’t work the farm anymore. Eben goes out to work, happy they’ve agreed to sign and that he’ll own the farm. Simeon and Peter comment that he’s just like their father. They drink some liquor, then get restless and go out to help milk the cows.
Eben approaches them and says he sees the father's buggy coming up the road. They all go back in the house; Simeon and Peter rush to get their things and head out, so the father sees them leaving. Eben gives them the paper to sign, then he pulls up some floorboards in the kitchen and takes out a bag. The older brothers sign the paper as Eben opens the bag, revealing six hundred dollars in gold coins. Peter counts the money, and Simeon gives Eben the signed paper. They awkwardly say goodbye, and Simeon and Peter go outside. They notice the father unhitching the buggy in the barn. They're excited and riled up, and Simeon breaks off the front gate.
Cabot approaches the house with Abbie and yells at his older sons for not being at work. They joke dryly that they were waiting to meet their new mother, then spit when introduced to Abbie. Abbie goes into the house, acting superior in her new role. They tell her Eben is inside, and she seems curious. Cabot calls Eben a dumb fool, and Simeon laughs and teases that Eben is exactly like Cabot, that is "hard and bitter." Then they excitedly declare to their father that they're free of him and going to California. Cabot calls them sinners and curses them. Before they leave, the brothers throw stones at the parlor window where they assume Abbie is. Cabot chases after them, and they disappear down the road singing about California. Abbie appears in an upstairs window and says with a sigh of relief that they're gone. She comments on how nice the room is and asks if it's hers. Cabot replies grimly that it's "our'n." Cabot heads to the barn to check on the cows.
Abbie goes into the kitchen and meets Eben. She says she'd like to be friends with him, but he's scornful. Abbie acts understanding and tells him about her background that she's an orphan and widow who's always worked for other people and is glad to have her own home. Eben fights against an attraction and sympathy for Abbie and calls her a harlot, yelling that it was his mom's farm and now his. Abbie laughs and says, "we'll see." They threaten each other about how they'll each get the farm. She teases him more about it being her home now and then softly asks to be friends again. Eben is hypnotized for a moment but then declares that he hates her and runs outside. He sees his father and stares hatefully at him. Cabot yells to God in the sky to curse his older sons. Eben cuts in and says, "to hell with yer God!" Cabot scolds him for not being at work, and Eben shoots back that he can't work alone now the other brothers are gone. They both head to the barn as Abbie washes dishes in the kitchen.
Analysis
While waiting for Cabot and Abbie to arrive, Simeon and Peter comment on how similar Eben is to their father in respect to his possessiveness for the farm, something they would just as well leave. Again and again, as much as Cabot and Eben insist on their differences, it is made clear that they are more alike than they care to admit. The brothers' refrain, spoken in this and Scene Two, that "Dog'll eat dog," shows that they may believe Eben and Cabot will destroy each other in their ruthlessness. As the brothers part awkwardly, they manage to express mutual respect and gratitude for another other. It's clear they don't resent each other, but neither do they have much affection for each other. Eben is focused on his success in getting his share of the farm while Simeon and Peter are on their journey to the land of their dreams.
Outside, the jester-like energies of Simeon and Peter come out as they await their father and then greet him and Abbie. They may be somewhat drunk, but it's also the excitement of leaving and a sense of freedom in being able to tell their father how they feel about him. As Cabot enters, he shows Abbie the home, and she repeats the word lustfully. There is an immediate conflict between her and Cabot when she declares it's hers and Cabot replies sharply that it's his, then relents under her stare that they will share. The dynamic is one of stubborn clashing but also an uncharacteristic softness in Cabot when dealing with Abbie.
When Cabot sees Simeon and Peter, he immediately asks why they're not working, then introduces them to Abbie almost as an afterthought. Simeon and Peter are resentful and jeering towards her, but she is unbothered as she goes into the house that, for her, is a kind of trophy that she expresses she always wanted but never had. When Eben is mentioned, Abbie mouths the name quietly to herself, a sign of some subtle desire. The way Cabot speaks about Eben and his mother contrasts with Simeon and Peter's view of them. Cabot sneers at Eben for being "soft and simple" like his mother, whereas Simeon and Peter respected Eben's mother and consider Eben to be like their father, "hard and bitter." Simeon and Peter joyfully dance, shout, and sing in front of their father, no longer afraid or worried about what he thinks or will do, triumphant in their success of leaving and their dreams of making their fortune. Although we don't know what becomes of Simeon and Peter, these opening scenes show a possibility for a different kind of life that contrasts with Eben and Cabot's insistence on staying on the farm with little joy or hope for the future.
The scene ends with Eben and Abbie meeting and the tension between them, in terms of both the sexual tension as well as the warring possessiveness of the farm and house. As Abbie tells her story, she presents a vulnerability and softness that contradicts the seductive power she projects. Eben fights against both his attraction and sympathy toward her by insulting her. But rather than have any effect, Abbie takes this behavior as a challenge and game. Their back-and-forth of mutual disdain and attraction is one that will drive the majority of the plot.
