44 pages • 1 hour read
Denis JohnsonA modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
This story begins with the narrator relating what he does over his lunch break: He visits a worker at the plant nursery across the street. The narrator believes the worker might sleep with him but might also be hiding a wedding ring. The narrator eventually decides not to go back to her because “[s]he seemed much too grownup for me” (115).
He works at a hospital for the elderly. The narrator reveals that he only has a job due to encouragement from Narcotics Anonymous members, and he feels ambivalent about it. The narrator feels responsible for providing an encouraging touch for the patients, who frequently need it. He relates the stories of some of the patients at the hospital, who include people who are unable to care for themselves.
The setting of this story is east Phoenix, where the hospital has a view of the desert. One day, while walking home from the bus stop, the narrator overhears a woman singing in her shower. Fascinated, he heads over to the window to see if he can peek inside at the woman, and he sees her toweling herself off in the bathroom. He fantasizes about sexually assaulting the woman, then rejects the idea because she could see his face.
By Denis Johnson
Addiction
View Collection
American Literature
View Collection
Books that Feature the Theme of...
View Collection
Community
View Collection
Fear
View Collection
Forgiveness
View Collection
Friendship
View Collection
Grief
View Collection
Guilt
View Collection
Hate & Anger
View Collection
Mortality & Death
View Collection
Pride & Shame
View Collection
Safety & Danger
View Collection
School Book List Titles
View Collection
The Future
View Collection
The Past
View Collection