Summary

Chapter 17 is entitled "What You Take, What You Wear, Who Gets You There." On New Year’s Eve, Ian changes into nice clothes for New Year’s, and Russ gives him a ride to Sylvia’s house.

In Chapter 18: "The Species of Dorian Gray," Sylvia’s father tells Ian about the paper he had written on Dorian Gray that got him fired had concluded with discussing humans and the ugliness they bring to the world. He shares that the real reason he was fired was due to organizing a protest against a prospective donor who had made his fortune drilling oil.

In Chapter 19: "Snowy Evening," during dinner, Sylvia’s younger brother Timo asks Ian why he wants “to be a farmer if they don’t make any money?” (158). Ian learns...