Summary

At the beginning of Chapter 5, entitled Rash Moments, Zuckerman is asleep and dreaming. He has a dream that he is speaking to his deceased mother and telling her that he wishes to have sex with her. She agrees and materializes in front of him. Zuckerman is then awakened by the ring of his hotel room telephone. The call is from Kliman, who claims that Zuckerman asked to have lunch with him so that Kliman could tell Zuckerman about writer George Plimpton’s memorial service. Zuckerman does not recall having this conversation with Kliman, and he does not recall learning of George Plimpton’s death. Zuckerman is shocked to learn that Plimpton died a year ago; Zuckerman did not hear about it due to his reclusiveness. Furthermore, Zuckerman is shocked by the incongruity of Plimpton’s death, as Plimpton always seemed to him to be...