Chapter 17 Summary, Analysis, and Key Takeaways

⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.

Summary

The chapter opens at a steakhouse with red leather booths, dim lighting, and stone walls, where the narrator, Gabe, and Ollie are having dinner. The narrator is feeling surly and orders a whisky on the rocks, aware that she is at risk of being disrespectful to Gabe, who has been abstaining from alcohol. She decides she needs to be an adult about the situation and deal with her hurt pride, but instead she drinks the whisky on an empty stomach and turns to Ollie to ask for quotes about the film.

She makes a pointed comment to Gabe about not wanting to write another flattering profile that he inexplicably hates, and Gabe tries to defend himself, but she waves him off, telling him she is talking to Ollie now. Her tone has moved from passive-aggressive to aggressive, and she acknowledges internally that her anger is raw and covering other emotions she is not ready to face.

When she asks Ollie why he chose The Philadelphia Story as source material, Ollie says he had been told it was a movie that could use an update, which is almost exactly what Gabe had said to her earlier. She gives Gabe a look, but he shrugs. Ollie tries to defuse the tension by explaining that it is a great play and was always on his list of potential material, but Gabe was the one who thought they should do it as a modern remake.

The narrator then asks Ollie if he has any plans to return to the theatre, since he started out there. Ollie exchanges a look with Gabe and says that is one of the reasons he is in Cooper. Gabe interrupts to clarify that this is off the record, and the narrator puts her phone away, though she does not like his tone or implication. Ollie then brings up that Gabe did a show on Broadway a few years ago, and the tension at the table ratchets up. The narrator confirms she saw it, and Gabe adds that she came on opening night. Ollie, sensing the awkwardness, pretends to take an important phone call, even though his phone did not ring, and leaves the table.

The narrative then shifts into a flashback. When the narrator learned that Gabe had signed on to play Karl Lindner in A Raisin in the Sun during his Bond hiatus, she had planned to avoid Times Square for the duration of the run. But she was sent a ticket to opening night. She did not tell her husband Jeremy, who had been working nonstop on his second novel and with whom things had been strained for months. Gabe was still married, but the gossip columns suggested he and Jacinda were separated or close to divorce. She told herself the invitation meant nothing, that it was business, but she wore her nicest dress, got her hair blown out, and wore lipstick and heels. Jeremy did not even notice when she left.

At the theatre, seeing Gabe onstage was like a drug, and the rest of the world seemed to disappear. During intermission, an usher told her that Mr. Parker would like her to come to his dressing room after the show. She spent the rest of the play in a fugue state, barely registering what was happening onstage, thinking only about how she would greet him.

After the curtain went down, she followed the usher backstage through narrow corridors overflowing with flowers and people. She knocked on Gabe's door and turned the knob as she knocked, which was her mistake. She opened the door and found Gabe with Jacinda in his arms. She backed away, stumbling in her heels, realizing she had lied to herself about why she had come. In her attempt to flee, she made a wrong turn and ended up onstage, where a stagehand told her she could not be there. Gabe appeared, still in costume and stage makeup, with a smear of lipstick on his cheek that was not from the show.

They had a tense conversation. She thanked him for the ticket and said she should go, but the other side of the stage was blocked by set pieces and sandbags, so she had to face him to leave. She told him the show was good and that he was good. He thanked her, said she looked nice, and she pointed out the lipstick on his cheek. He swore and rubbed it off. He tried to explain that Jacinda had surprised him, and that his mother was also there. He invited her to the after-party, offering to introduce her to Jacinda, who he said knew her work. She declined, and they exchanged pointed remarks about each other's spouses. He said it was good to see her, and she admitted it was good to see him too. He noticed her wedding band, and she felt a wave of shame for having forgotten, even for a moment, that she was married. He told her to give his regards to the Novelist, and she told him to tell Jacinda she loved her last movie. She left, walking home in the dark and cold, feeling like a deflated balloon, like she had been played for a fool.

Back at the restaurant, Gabe explains that he did not know Jacinda would be there that night. He thought she was in London, and when he got offstage, she was in his dressing room. The narrator asks if that is supposed to make it better, and Gabe says he does not know, but he knows how it looked and it was not supposed to be like that. They argue about how it was supposed to be. Gabe reveals that his marriage to Jacinda was not real, that it was an arrangement, and that the initial impulse to get married was his, but the arrangement itself was Jacinda's idea. The narrator asks if Jacinda knew about their weekend together, and Gabe says she did not, but he told her about it later. The narrator feels vindicated and also like shit.

Gabe admits he was so glad to see her, and she points out he was still married. He counters that so was she. They both realize they are angry at each other for the exact same reason, and neither of them really has a right to be angry. This takes the air out of her rage. She admits she was glad to see him too. Gabe reaches out and takes her hand, and she takes his without a second thought. She asks why he invited her, and he says he could not not invite her. She says she could not not go. Ollie returns, oblivious to the moment he interrupted, and jokes that neither of them has killed the other. They all sit down to eat.

Key Events

• Dinner at a steakhouse where the narrator drinks whisky and behaves aggressively toward Gabe.

• Ollie reveals he is considering returning to theatre, off the record.

• Ollie brings up Gabe's Broadway performance, prompting a fake phone call to escape the tension.

• Flashback to the narrator attending Gabe's opening night without telling Jeremy.

• The narrator finds Gabe with Jacinda backstage and flees, ending up onstage.

• A tense confrontation onstage, where the narrator declines the after-party invitation.

• Gabe explains his marriage to Jacinda was an arrangement, not real.

• Both acknowledge they were married at the time and admit they were glad to see each other.

• Ollie returns and the dinner resumes.

Character Development

The Narrator (Chani): This chapter forces her to confront the lie she told herself about why she attended Gabe's opening night. She admits she was glad to see him, and she lets go of some of her anger when she realizes they are both guilty of the same thing. Her pride is wounded, but she begins to move past it.

Gabe: He reveals his vulnerability by admitting the marriage to Jacinda was not real and that he was glad to see Chani. He also shows frustration and regret about how the opening night situation looked.

Ollie: He acts as a catalyst for the confrontation, bringing up the Broadway performance and then tactfully (or not so tactfully) excusing himself to give them privacy.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

The Stage as Metaphor: The flashback takes place on an actual stage, where Chani and Gabe confront each other. The stage represents the performative nature of their public lives and the way their private feelings are often hidden behind roles.

Secrets and Lies: Chani hides her attendance from Jeremy, Gabe hides his marriage arrangement from the public, and both hide their true feelings from each other for years.

Marriage Constraints: Both characters were married at the time of the opening night, and their wedding rings serve as a reminder of the obligations that kept them apart.

Timing: The chapter emphasizes how timing shaped their relationship, from the opening night to the present dinner, and how the same situation can look different depending on when it is viewed.

Emotional Vulnerability: Both characters admit their true feelings, and the hand-holding moment represents a breakthrough in their ability to be honest with each other.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter is pivotal because it finally gives the reader the full story of the Broadway opening night, which has been referenced throughout the book. It clarifies the nature of Gabe's marriage to Jacinda and reveals that both characters were married at the time, which complicates the reader's understanding of who is at fault. The chapter also marks a turning point in their relationship, as they both admit they were glad to see each other and begin to let go of their mutual blame.

Study Questions and Answers

1. Why does the narrator order whisky and behave aggressively toward Gabe at dinner?

She is dealing with hurt pride and a host of other emotions she is not ready to face. The whisky lowers her inhibitions, and her aggression is a way of protecting herself from the vulnerability she feels around Gabe.

2. What does the flashback reveal about the narrator's motivations for attending Gabe's opening night?

She told herself the invitation meant nothing and was business, but her actions, such as wearing her nicest dress and getting her hair blown out, reveal that she wanted to see him. She later admits she lied to herself about why she came.

3. How does the conversation about their marriages change the dynamic between the narrator and Gabe?

When Gabe points out that she was also married at the time, the narrator realizes they are both angry at each other for the same reason, and neither has a right to be angry. This realization deflates her rage and allows them to admit they were glad to see each other, leading to a moment of hand-holding.

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