Summary

In Chapter IV, Vladimir contacted the narrator proposing they get lunch on October 20. Although the date was far off, the narrator was grateful. She wanted time to process his book. Starting a new story and sleeping with John had also confused her feelings. She needed time to remember who she was. She focused on “department initiatives and campus activities” to recenter (52).

John interrupted her work to ask where they were (52). Although they had not been close for some time, the narrator still felt connected to him. She reflected on his past.

She remembered being caught “in the throes of love, alcohol, and excess” at the start of their relationship (55). She also remembered feeling bad about her body when they married. Vanity had “always been [her] poorest quality” (55). Although she had accomplished things, she was constantly “trapped in the prison of vanity...