In You Can't Take It With You, family is a matter of choice—and the more choices the better. Many of the people who live in Grandpa's house are blood relations, like his daughter Mrs. Sycamore, and his granddaughters.
But other folks just seem to have been passing through, like Poppins (who Grandpa collects at a real estate office) and Kolenkhov, Essie's dance instructor, who comes for dinner every night. Part of the reason the house is so sprawling and chaotic is because it's home to whoever wants to be there. If you want to be a lily, you're welcome.
Questions about Family
- Are Grandpa's neighbors part of his family? Explain your answer.
- Does Mr. Kirby care about family? Explain your answer.
- Is Alice right to insist that Mr. and Mrs. Kirby have to approve of her marriage to Tony? Why or why not?
Chew on This
Take a peek at these thesis statements. Agree or disagree?
Mr. and Mrs. Kirby care too much about their son.
Mr. and Mrs. Kirby don't care enough about their son.