Herman Felton’s workday begins before his wife, Clara, and daughter, Betsy, are awake. While heading out the house, he shudders to remember an incident from a few years ago when he accidently saw his daughter’s breasts. He recalls the look of suspicion in her eyes when she caught him staring, which makes him uncomfortable up to remember even now. He takes a train into New York City and goes to the Empire State Building for work, greeted by his secretary and anxious accountant, Gelbhorn. Gelbhorn inquires about Morrow, Herman’s son who is serving in the army abroad for Word War II against the wishes of his parents. The conversation shifts to the topic of a deal with some major corporations Herman is craftily closing in on. Although Gelbhorn warns Herman that some of his sketchier business ventures may land him in trouble, he brushes it off and reflects on how hard he worked to reach this point. His company has recently signed a contract with Navy, and he is busy preparing a pivotal meeting with an American Manufacturer in Pennsylvania tomorrow. While on lunch break, Herman delves deeply into thoughts about life, the war, and Morrow. He feels that no one and truly understand anyone else. For example, Clara and Betsy would never understand how cutthroat the business world was. He considers how proud and encouraging Betsy is of his business without knowing how much he risks to ensure a privileged for her. Although Herman always set Morrow up for working with him in business, he always knew that his son would not settle for that kind of life. After Pearl Harbor, Morrow joined the army without notice or advice and refused any of Herman’s attempts to help him get promoted. Secretly, Herman kept a list of people who would be able to help him take preventative measures for his son’s time abroad. He passes the rest of his day answering phone calls and getting ready for a business dinner. When he returns home, the house is silent, and he is not sure if Betsy is home. He goes to bed with Clara, marking the end of his workday.