Summary

Chapter 19 depicts a long, enigmatic interaction between the unnamed woman and the Greek teacher. They return from the hospital to the Greek teacher’s apartment. The teacher begins to speak to the woman, noting that the total absence of her voice “feels strange” (130). He continues speaking, discussing the people they saw at the hospital and, eventually, his worsening vision. As the teacher mentions his mother, the woman thinks of her own mother’s death. As the quasi-conversation continues, the teacher occasionally asks her if she is listening. The teacher tells her stories, including several about his experiences as a Korean immigrant in Germany. He describes the “wrenching sense of solitude” (139) he felt when he returned to Seoul, where—unlike in Germany—he was not expected to smile at passersby.

The woman notices that the teacher’s monologue “speeds up in increments” (140). He...