Part VIII Summary

Part VIII begins with the meeting of Herr Hugo Weinschenk, the Director of the city fire insurance company, and Erica Grunlich. The director works on Meng street so the two will often run into one and other on the street. Erica, embarrassed and flattered to be noticed by the director, immediately runs home and cries. As a result of her mother's shame at her divorces and her belief that all of the other families in town despise her, Tony avoids the society of the town. This puts Erica at a disadvantage though, because she is not invited to any of the dinners or balls in town and hence has not met any young men to marry. She is twenty years old and pretty, but unknown outside of her small family circle. The director on the other hand is a Prussian by...