Summary:
"What Every Woman Knows" by J. M. Barrie is a play written during the early 20th century. The story revolves around the Wylie family, particularly focusing on the lives of the three brothers and their sister Maggie, exploring themes of love, gender roles, and societal expectations. The dynamics within the family highlight the struggles and aspirations of women in a male-dominated society, contrasted with the more traditional expectations of men. The opening of the play introduces us to the Wylie family in their Scotch home, where the brothers James and Alick are engaged in a game of dambrod while David, the more ambitious brother, enters after a public meeting. As the family shares light-hearted banter, it becomes clear that Maggie, the sole sister, harbors secret aspirations and feelings of unrequited love, particularly towards John Shand, a local student. The brothers are protective of her, while also contrasting her more romantical mind against their practical outlooks on life. Interactions among the siblings hint at deeper-underlying familial bonds and the complexities of Maggie's aspirations for love and recognition, setting the stage for the unfolding drama. (This is an automatically generated summary.)