Written about a self-absorbed Southern Family, Little Foxes is about a family business deal between two brothers (Ben and Oscar), their overbearing sister, Regina, and a wealthy northerner, Mr. Marshall. While seeking personal gain through the business, all three of the siblings exploit one another, and although they speak incessantly about their family history, they have no sense for the true meaning of the word. Through their overwhelming greed, each of the characters are involved in a constant state of manipulation--even within their own family. Regina tries to cheat Oscar out of part of the fair percentage of profit while Oscar, through his son Leo, steals 88 thousand dollars from Horace. Regina goes so far as to force her ailing husband (Horace) to return home, fit for travel or not, so that he can provide the money for her to live lavishly in Chicago. Her total lack of regard for others eventually leads to the death of one of her own husband, and she shows absolutely no remorse "only a concern for what this could do for her share of profits. There are, however, actually a few voices of reason in the play who provide a foil for the self-centered Hubbard family: Alexandra (Zan), Birdie, Horace and Addie. These characters seem to share the only true family bond and non-manipulative attachment. In the first act, Birdie tells Alexandra that she loves her "more than anybody else- because she recognizes her sincere kindness. Birdie, who is constantly written off and ignored, turns to drinking to fulfill her need for happiness since she cannot even find it in her own family. Alexandra looks after her father with genuine concern even though no one else even inquires about his health. Addie, the black maid, shows more consideration for Horace and Alexandra than Regina ever does, and seems to be the only one rushing frantically for Dr. Sloan when Horace has his attack. These characters provide a dramatic foil to the greed-driven Hubbard siblings and give the novel some morality.
