Chapter 9 'Tan': Summary, Analysis, and Key Themes

⚠️ 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 with the narrator reflecting on his lifelong obsession with tanning, which began in the 1970s when he spent long days in the sun without sunscreen. He describes childhood beach trips with his mother and sister, where his mother stayed in the shade while he and his sister burned and peeled. In college at Hofstra in the 1980s, he treated tanning as a serious job, lying out on the quad whenever temperatures exceeded sixty degrees, even during spring break. After graduation, he used money from his graduation party to backpack through Europe, prioritizing sunny Mediterranean destinations over cultural sights.

He met his friend Laura in Madrid, and they traveled through southern Spain, then took a ferry to Tangier, Morocco, where they met a Swedish traveler named Sigrid. In Marrakech, they stayed at a youth hostel with a rooftop deck, but the narrator fell ill with severe diarrhea for several days, worrying more about losing his tan than his health. After recovering, they continued through Spain, France, and Italy, with the narrator skipping museums to sunbathe. Laura eventually departed, and the narrator went to Corfu, Greece, where he met two women, Jen and Diane, and rented an apartment with them. He told them he was gay, and they shared a week of simple companionship. He then met his friend Sal in Athens, and they spent five weeks traveling through the Greek Islands, trying to recapture the freedom of the film Summer Lovers. The chapter ends with their final night in Mykonos, still feeling the sun's warmth at midnight.

Key Events

The narrator's childhood tanning obsession in the 1970s, including sunburns and his mother's unusual habit of staying in the shade.
College years at Hofstra, where he tanned on the quad whenever the temperature rose above sixty degrees, treating it like a job.
Post-graduation backpacking trip to Europe, starting in Madrid with Laura, with a focus on sunny destinations.
Meeting Sigrid on the ferry to Tangier and traveling together to Marrakech.
The narrator's severe illness in Marrakech, which made him fear losing his tan more than his health.
Traveling through Spain, France, and Italy, skipping cultural sites to sunbathe.
Laura's departure and the narrator's solo trip to Corfu, where he meets Jen and Diane.
Coming out to Jen and Diane during their week together.
Meeting Sal in Athens and spending five weeks in the Greek Islands.
The final night in Mykonos, still feeling the sun's warmth.

Character Development

The chapter contrasts the narrator's youthful self with his older, more jaded perspective. In his twenties, he is open, social, and almost manic in his pursuit of tanning. He talks to strangers easily, forms intense but fleeting bonds, and treats travel as a backdrop for sunbathing. His coming out to Jen and Diane is a significant moment, though he notes that at twenty-two, it still required an evening of conversation.

The older narrator, reflecting back, is more cynical about people and less willing to engage. He admits that he now finds the idea of talking to strangers dreadful, and he wonders if his memories of the trip are idealized. He acknowledges that some experiences are meant to last only a short time, and that trying to hold onto them only leads to disappointment. This self-awareness adds depth to his character, showing how time and experience have changed him.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Obsessive tanning as a symbol of youth and freedom: The narrator's relentless pursuit of a tan represents his desire to live in the moment, to feel alive and carefree. It also reflects his priorities at that age, where appearance and pleasure trumped deeper pursuits.
Transient friendships: The chapter is filled with people who come and go—Sigrid, Jen, Diane, and various others. These connections are intense but short-lived, illustrating the fleeting nature of travel and youth. The narrator later reflects on how easily these bonds dissolved.
Nostalgia and memory: The narrator's recollections are tinged with nostalgia, but he also questions their accuracy. He wonders if his memories of Jen and Diane are true or if he has romanticized them. This theme highlights the unreliability of memory and the way we idealize the past.
Fantasy vs. reality: The narrator's expectations of Morocco, shaped by the film The Man Who Knew Too Much, clash with the actual concrete hostel and his illness. Similarly, his attempt to recreate the freedom of Summer Lovers in Greece doesn't lead to the romantic encounter he hoped for.
Gay identity and coming out: The narrator's disclosure to Jen and Diane is a quiet but important moment, showing that even in the 1980s, coming out was a significant step. It also connects to his relationship with Sal, another gay Italian-American, though their involvement was brief.
Aging and self-reflection: The older narrator frequently interrupts the story to comment on how young and foolish he was, contrasting his past energy with his present weariness. This motif underscores the passage of time and the loss of youthful spontaneity.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter provides a vivid portrait of the narrator's formative years, showing how his obsession with tanning shaped his choices and experiences. It also explores universal themes of youth, freedom, and the fleeting nature of connections. The narrator's reflections on memory and aging add a layer of poignancy, making this more than just a travelogue. It reveals how the past continues to inform his present identity, and it sets up the contrast between his youthful openness and his later cynicism.

Study Questions and Answers

1. How does the narrator's obsession with tanning reflect his broader approach to life in his twenties?

The narrator treats tanning as a serious job, dedicating hours to it and planning his travels around sunny destinations. This obsession reflects his single-minded pursuit of pleasure and appearance, often at the expense of cultural experiences. He skips museums and castles to sunbathe, and even when he is ill in Morocco, his primary fear is losing his tan. This shows how his priorities were shaped by a desire for physical transformation and a carefree, hedonistic lifestyle.

2. What role do transient friendships play in the chapter, and how does the narrator view them in retrospect?

The narrator meets people like Sigrid, Jen, and Diane, and forms intense bonds quickly, but these friendships dissolve just as quickly. He notes that he used to talk to anyone and felt fierce loyalty to people he had known for only minutes. In retrospect, he is more cynical, admitting that he now finds such openness dreadful and that people start to repeat themselves. This contrast highlights how youth allows for spontaneous connections that become harder to sustain with age.

3. How does the narrator's memory of his trip differ from the actual events, and what does this reveal about nostalgia?

The narrator acknowledges that his memories may be idealized. For example, he wonders if his time with Jen and Diane was truly as warm and companionable as he remembers, or if he has romanticized it. He also reflects that some experiences are meant to last only a short time and that trying to hold onto them leads to disappointment. This reveals that nostalgia often smooths over the rough edges of the past, and that memory is a selective, creative act.

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