III explained

What happens

Themes in this chapter

• Loss of Self and Identity

  The Professor feels disconnected from his family and his own past, as symbolized by his desire to stay in the old house.

• Memory and the Past

  The Professor reflects on his marriage and the role of Tom Outland, and the old house represents his attachment to the past.

• Family and Marriage

  The breakfast argument reveals tensions in the marriage, with Lillian defending Louie and the Professor feeling alienated.

Characters to notice

• Professor St. Peter

  Reflects on his marriage and Tom Outland's impact, negotiates with his landlord, and argues with Lillian about Louie.

• Lillian St. Peter

  Breakfasts with the Professor, defends Louie, and discusses the history of manners and reserve.

• Tom Outland

  Mentioned as the cause of jealousy in Lillian and as a significant figure in the Professor's life.

• Louie Marsellus

  Discussed at breakfast; his naming of the house 'Outland' and his behavior are points of contention.

• Appelhoff

  The Professor's landlord, who is reluctant to rent the old house for a short term but agrees to a year's lease.

• Professor Horace Langtry

  Mentioned as a rival who once tried to take the Professor's department and now has a Renaissance chair.

Key passages

• “people who are intensely in love when they marry, and who go on being in love, always meet with something which suddenly or gradually makes a difference.”

  Couples who remain deeply in love after marriage inevitably encounter something that changes their relationship.

  The Professor reflects on how Tom Outland altered his marriage.

• “It’s brazen impudence.”

  It's shameless audacity.

  The Professor criticizes Louie and Rosamond for naming the house 'Outland'.

• “I have no enthusiasm for being a father-in-law.”

  I don't enjoy the role of being a father-in-law.

  The Professor expresses his discomfort with his son-in-law Louie.