Little Caesar · Chapter
II explained
Joe Massara, shaken after a performance, visits Olga Stassoff and recounts how a woman in the audience screamed upon seeing him, leading him to believe she recognized him.
What happens
Joe Massara, shaken after a performance, visits Olga Stassoff and recounts how a woman in the audience screamed upon seeing him, leading him to believe she recognized him. Olga dismisses his concern, and they are joined by Mr. Willoughby for dinner, where the incident is discussed further.
Themes in this chapter
Fear and Paranoia
Joe's intense reaction to the woman's scream and his belief that she recognized him reflects a growing sense of paranoia.
Characters to notice
- Joe Massara
Joe bursts into Olga's room, visibly pale and shaken after a woman screamed at him during his Pierrot dance.
- Olga Stassoff
Olga comforts Joe, dismisses his fears, and hosts dinner with Mr. Willoughby.
- Mr. Willoughby
Mr. Willoughby joins Olga and Joe for dinner, confirming the scream was unusual and offering wine from his cellar.
Key passages
“I was finishing up my Pierrot dance, see, and you know when it’s dark and they got the spot on you you can’t see nothing. Well, I was circling the outside of the floor like I do before I take that last leap, when some dame at a corner table gives a yell, a hell of a yell.”
Joe describes how, during his dance, a woman in the audience suddenly screamed loudly.
Joe recounts the unsettling moment to Olga.
“I kind of got the idea she recognized me or something, but, hell, I never seen her before. She’s an old dame, about forty, and she’s got peroxide hair.”
Joe suspects the woman recognized him, though he doesn't know her.
Joe expresses his confusion and unease about the woman's reaction.