Chapter 20 Summary

Lipsha sees his cousin Albertine during her visit home from medical school. Rather than start their conversation on the woes of his own life, he tries talking about her strife. Albertine doesn't have many negatives going on in her life, she says. She is where she wants to be in life and content with it. The talk goes back to Lipsha, as he states, "I don't want to live." (p. 215) Albertine thinks he is talking about his embarrassment with the skunk during his spiritual fast, but he is referring to Shawnee. Albertine's advice is for Lipsha to get his own life together and then pursue Shawnee. There is a lot that Lipsha wants to say in response to her statement. He wants to thank her for pushing him and supporting him and tell her about his regrets for disappointing everyone, but he can't...