Chapter 20 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 unnamed narrator arriving at Phin's Chicago apartment, located in a gentrified, upmarket neighborhood filled with Victorian redbrick houses and young families. The apartment itself is a third-floor conversion, accessed via polished wooden stairs and decorated with tasteful art and a brass chandelier. The narrator is greeted by Joe, a very young man who is barefoot and dressed casually in blue shorts and a black polo shirt. The narrator immediately notes Joe's youth and wonders how he could afford such a beautiful apartment, though he refrains from asking directly.

Joe offers the narrator a drink, and the narrator accepts water. As they talk, the narrator explains that he knew Phin as a child, that Phin had worked as a safari guide in Africa, and that the family had planned a reunion after losing touch. Joe reveals that he has never met Phin in person but has spoken to him on the phone and seen photos of him in the apartment. He mentions that his parents pay the rent, and that his last contact with Phin was weeks earlier, regarding some roof scaffolding work.

The narrator asks to see the photos of Phin, and Joe retrieves a small pile from a drawer in the bedroom desk. The narrator leafs through them, struggling to contain his excitement and anxiety. He sees Phin at various ages, with different hairstyles, in different settings—restaurants, beaches, with friends—and notes a single tattoo on Phin's bicep. The narrator looks for signs of Phin's sexuality or intimate relationships but finds him