Chapter 27 Summary

Ray and Japhy go to San Francisco for a day. Ray begins to drink wine, becomes inebriated and continues to drink. Ray has gained a reputation of some note as an East Coast writer, and Japhy wants to introduce Ray to some friends at a lecture and discussion session. Ray just wants to get drunk and miss the lecture. Japhy tells Ray that he drinks too much. Ray goes to Alvah's house and stays there, drinking, while Japhy goes off to the lecture.

Japhy returns, drunk himself, several hours later. He tells Ray that everyone at the lecture was drinking and that Ray was right after all. Japhy apologizes for being argumentative, and they agree to drop the argument.

Chapter 27 Analysis

In a moment of role reversal, Ray becomes an instructor, of sorts. Japhy is focused on introducing Ray, a burgeoning writer, to...