This monologue is taken from a one-act play called Gap In The Shelf.  Mother does not like her son Henry and during dinner creates issue about a Chekhov book.

MOTHER: There are some rules to live by, Henry, for all of us. This is the nature of our very existence. It shows discipline of character when we do not color outside the lines. We must focus. We must articulate when we speak. We must remain well-mannered individuals.

Let us say, for example, that we had invited a guest for supper and after supper this particular guest wished to enter our library for a bit of reading and relaxation. We offer him or her up our best cognac and at some point our guest motions to find a book of their liking. It is at this very point in time that our esteemed guest finds a gap in the shelf. We mustn’t have that. Therefore, all books remain on the shelves at all times, unless reading and reading only takes place inside the library room. That’s final.

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In this one-act ePlay, Henry faces off with his Mother during dinner, over a Chekhov short story collection that he removed from the family reading room.

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