Artie Gottlieb is one of five brothers. He is a big arguer, and a raging drunk. He loves his wife, Evy but despite himself he often ends up blowing up at her.

Evy accuses Artie's brothers, and the complex dynamics and alliances between them, for enabling Artie's alcoholism.

While it is a surprise to everyone that Evy sticks it out through Artie's wrath. Slowly she begins to recede, escaping into herself to get away from him. Artie freaks out, but can't figure out how to bring her back. They are right next to each other, but a haze forms between them.

Artie partly blames his mother, not for the dynamics and the criticism, but for the way she raised them, and who they became as people. Through various encounters with the several brothers in the family, fissures are revealed. The story ends ambiguously at a large family dinner table scene. Leaving us with questions about how much a person can change against the forces of history that may be at work in our personality.