Chapter 7, Laughter and Hope and a Sock in the Eye 1923-1924 Summary and Analysis

Benchley's doctor tells him that for the sake of his health, he needs to rent an apartment in the city and stop commuting, or he is going to have to slow down the pace of his life. Renting an apartment is a far more attractive idea, as it is the perfect place to take his mistresses. He leaves his wife Gertrude with assurances that he will be home every weekend, and invites her to come visit him in the city in the evenings. He knows full well that she has two small children at home, making commuting to the city nightly an impossibility. She begins to realize that she has been granted a Victorian divorce. She will have the legal rights...