Section 4, Through p. 146 Summary

Charlie begins this section contemplating his unusual sense of loyalty to dead people, reflecting that he somehow feels he must carry on for them after they die. As a result, he senses that parts of Humboldt's character are sticking to him. He is beginning to feel overwhelmed by this obligation, which accounts for part of his negative reaction to Cantabile's proposal that he help his wife with her thesis. Charlie admits that he returns to Chicago from New York with the motive of creating a significant work. He intends to chronicle the war between consciousness and sleep, which he now claims is contributing to his current state of lethargy. When Eisenhower beat Stevenson in 1952, Charlie thought that Chicago would be the perfect place to write his essay on the topic of boredom. He reflects that Eisenhower's victory was absolutely...