# XXII explained — Alice Adams

> Chapter companion for Alice Adams by Booth Tarkington.

## What happens

The disastrous dinner for Arthur Russell continues with strained conversation, oppressive heat, and Gertrude's hostility. Alice works tirelessly to smooth over the awkwardness, while her father Virgil struggles with the formalities. The doorbell rings, and Charley Lohr arrives, prompting Virgil to excuse himself. Left alone with Russell, Alice confronts him about his distant behavior, sensing something is wrong.

## Themes in this chapter

### Appearance vs. Reality

Alice's cheerful performance masks the underlying tension and failure of the dinner, while Russell's polite demeanor hides his discomfort.

### Social Class and Mobility

The Adams family's struggle to maintain appearances for Russell highlights their precarious social standing and desire for upward mobility.

### Family Dynamics and Sacrifice

Alice sacrifices her own comfort and honesty to smooth over the dinner for her family, while her parents' actions reveal their own anxieties.

## Character check-ins

### Alice Adams

Alice maintains a lively chatter to smooth over the disastrous dinner, but internally she is anxious and questioning Russell's behavior.

### Arthur Russell

Russell appears uncomfortable, pale, and strained throughout the dinner, avoiding Alice's gaze and struggling to maintain composure.

### Virgil Adams

Virgil is awkward at the dinner, forgets to buy cigars, and later excuses himself to see Charley Lohr.

### Mrs. Adams

Mrs. Adams tries to manage the dinner and instructs Gertrude to say they are not at home when the doorbell rings.

### Gertrude Collamus

Gertrude is hostile and reluctant, slow to serve and openly defiant, but eventually complies with Mrs. Adams' orders.

### Charley Lohr

Charley Lohr arrives at the door, insisting on speaking with Virgil, and is described as having a bristly white mustache and nice eyeglasses.

## Key lines

> Alice’s liveliness never flagged. Her smoothing over of things was an almost continuous performance, and had to be.

Alice kept up her cheerful act without pause, constantly covering up the awkwardness of the situation.

_Highlights Alice's role as the family's social buffer during the tense dinner._

> He looked at her but fleetingly, and seemed to suffer from the heat, in spite of every manly effort not to wipe his brow too often.

Russell barely glanced at Alice and appeared to be struggling with the heat, though he tried not to show it.

_Illustrates Russell's discomfort and avoidance of Alice during the dinner._

> She gave Mrs. Adams a stare, grimly derisive, then departed.

Gertrude looked at Mrs. Adams with a scornful expression before leaving the room.

_Shows Gertrude's hostile attitude toward the Adams family._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/alice_adams_se/chapters/xxii
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/alice_adams_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/alice_adams_se/chapters