Summary

Outside the Luxor Cinema, the narrator was suddenly overcome by disappointment. He “had deluded [him]self” into thinking “Scranton would rescue [his] career” (1112). He dreaded going home with his empty notebook and having to face his wife and mother who would badger him about his work.

However, as he made his way back through town, he began to feel differently. The noisy street did not bother him and the usual annoyances of the city felt distant. His interaction with Scranton had let him “see everything in a more detached way” (1112). He felt as if he were floating through the streets. Even the atmosphere on the tram did not bother him and he did not feel disgusted by his fellow passengers. When he returned home, he was unbothered by his wife and mother, too. They noticed his altered demeanor and exclaimed that he must...