▁never ▁appears ▁on ▁stage . ▁The ▁play ▁expl ores ▁them es ▁of ▁repr ession , ▁passion , ▁and ▁conform ity , ▁and ▁inspect s ▁the ▁effects ▁of ▁men ▁upon ▁women . ▁ ▁Plot ▁summary ▁Upon ▁her ▁second ▁husband ' s ▁death , ▁dom ine ering ▁mat ri arch ▁Bernard a ▁Al ba ▁impos es ▁an ▁eight - year ▁m our ning ▁period ▁on ▁her ▁household ▁in ▁accord ance ▁with ▁her ▁family ▁tradition . ▁Bernard a ▁has ▁five ▁daughters , ▁aged ▁between ▁ 2 0 ▁and ▁ 3 9 , ▁whom ▁she ▁has ▁controlled ▁in ex or ably ▁and ▁prohib ited ▁from ▁any ▁form ▁of ▁relationship . ▁The ▁m our ning ▁period ▁further ▁isol ates ▁them ▁and ▁t ension ▁mount s ▁within ▁the ▁household . ▁ ▁After ▁a ▁m our ning ▁rit ual ▁at ▁the ▁family ▁home , ▁el dest ▁daughter ▁Ang ust ias ▁enters , ▁having ▁been ▁absent ▁while ▁the ▁guests ▁were ▁there . ▁Bernard a ▁f umes , ▁assuming ▁she ▁had ▁been ▁listening ▁to ▁the ▁men ' s ▁conversation ▁on ▁the ▁pat io . ▁Ang ust ias ▁inherited ▁a ▁large ▁sum ▁of ▁money ▁from ▁her ▁father , ▁Bernard a ' s ▁first ▁husband , ▁but ▁Bernard a ' s ▁second ▁husband ▁has ▁left ▁only ▁small ▁sums ▁to ▁his ▁four ▁daughters . ▁Ang ust ias ' ▁wealth ▁attract s ▁a ▁young , ▁attract ive ▁su itor ▁from ▁the ▁village , ▁Pe pe ▁el ▁Rom ano . ▁Her ▁sister s ▁are ▁je alous , ▁bel ieving ▁that ▁it ' s ▁unf air ▁that ▁plain