A woman hears her husband approaching the door of their home. She can tell by his footsteps that he is upset and it is most likely because he got fired from his job as a watchman at a local office building. Her husband, Ab, walks in angrily. The woman has three children: a five-month-old baby, a three-year-old boy, and an eight-year-old girl. The three-year-old, Jappy, is taking a nap in the other room and she closes the door so her husband doesn't wake him. At first, Ab doesn't say anything so she makes conversation while sewing. She explains that Frances, the eight-year-old girl, has finished her homework. Ab interrupts her and explains that the secretaries at his workplace are too busy to see him and that he's confused why they would fire him after he's worked there for 9 years. Ab explains that the superintendent is the one that the secretaries keep referring him to, but even the superintendent is too busy to see him. The wife explains that the real-estate people of the office building don't care much about the superintendent and that the old one died. Ab explains that he will do anything to get his job back. Their daughter Frances enter the room. Frances begins to run around and talk about this girl she likes at school who looks like Shirley Temple. This makes Ab frustrated and he yells at his daughter to shut up. Pauline sends Frances to get milk so she won't bother her father anymore. Ab tells Pauline that many workers go on strike when they lose their jobs and that he wants to do that too. He encourages his entire family to go with him because then the superintendent will feel bad for him. Each of the family members write a sign to hold and Ab is excited to begin his picketing. Ab gets his children excited to picket and they head out the door. The children begin to chant, hoping the superintendent will see them. Jappy begins to sob because he wants to bring his doll with him and Ab shouts at his son because he doesn't need it. Pauline runs back into the house anyways to get the doll. Pauline ends up staying home with the infant. When her family comes back, Ab is prideful because the superintendent saw them, but Frances begins to cry because the girl that looks like Shirley Temple saw her. Ab considers Frances' crying disrespectful and gets mad. Frances cries in her room. Pauline tries to explain that Frances is at an age where she would get upset if other people saw her. Ab decides not to bring Frances with him the day after. Pauline helps Ab with the writing on his sign.