What things do we learn about Robert by paying attention to the things that other characters say about him and do for him?

We quickly learn that Robert suffered from graphomania, in which he obsessively wrote things down, but lost his grasp on reality. Because of her father's illness, Catherine spends the play worried that she has inherited his illness—a fear which is only made worse by her sister's conviction that she ought to speak to a doctor.

The play looks at the ways that people perceive mental illness. Catherine saw her father's illness as a reason to take care of him and spend time with him, but Claire saw the illness as something that would be better dealt with at an institution. The play raises questions about ethical ways to handle and heal mental illness, as well as the ways that mental illness can alter the trajectory of someone's life.