Chapter 30: 99 Percent

Summary

• Elizabeth is confronted by her daughter Madeline's teacher, Mrs. Mudford, about a problematic family tree assignment Madeline submitted.
• Madeline had claimed in the assignment she was a descendant of historical figures like Nefertiti and Amelia Earhart and made claims about humans being 99 percent genetically identical.
• Elizabeth is hassled about her approach to household chores and experiments she's trying at home.
• There are hints of struggles around balancing single motherhood and a career, and the judgment from others like Mrs. Mudford and the local Presbyterian reverend.
• Elizabeth is also facing the possibility of an interview by a reporter from the LA Times, who is more interested in her personal life than her professional achievements.
• Six-Thirty, the family dog, reflects on the knowledge he's gained, highlighting that all humans have common ancestors.
• Elizabeth is dealing with sexism at her job and is considering making a formal complaint about Phil Lebensmal's behavior towards women at the station.
• Harriet, a friend, arrives with a facial injury caused by her husband. Elizabeth wants to intervene, but Harriet insists on handling it herself.
• Elizabeth, on her cooking show, strongly criticizes the use of canned soup by a prospective sponsor and sarcastically suggests recipes with poisonous mushrooms as a metaphor for rejecting societal expectations.
• This rebellious act on live TV leads to her being fired by Phil Lebensmal, who feels challenged by her nonconformist attitude.
• Lebensmal attempts to intimidate Elizabeth during a meeting, which leads to a climactic moment where a drunken Lebensmal exposes himself, and Elizabeth responds by pulling out a large knife, resulting in Lebensmal fainting.