Robert faces the unfortunate truth that his professional ambitions and history of frequent migration have distanced him from his family. Alice and her daughters stick to Dr. Clement’s old-money lifestyle, which clashes with Robert’s personality and new-money vision of success. Robert came to California in pursuit of the freedom to do what he wants with whom he wants—not to spend his time imitating white aristocrats at stodgy high-society functions. So it’s no surprise that he eventually starts trying to free himself from his family, too.