Pages 51 through 82 Summary and Analysis

Lillian Hellman is served with a subpoena to appear before the House Un-American Activities Committee. At first she is only slightly annoyed. However, her nerves take over and she calls several friends, including Hammett, for support. She contacted another acquaintance, Stanley Isaacs, who had been through the process already. He had lost a low level assistant who was reputed to be a Communist and was removed from his job. Finally, she got help when she contacted lawyer Abe Fortas who told her the timing was right for someone to take a moral stand against the disgraceful Congressional committee and not cop out by taking the fifth. Fortas proposes that Lillian answer any and all questions about herself but not about anyone else. She is in a good position to take such a stand because she really does not know...