Chapter 18: Legally Mad
Summary
- Harriet Sloane, who considered herself not pretty, pondered the relationship between her attractive neighbors, Calvin and Elizabeth, suspecting their attraction was more profound than just appearances.
- Harriet's marriage to Mr. Sloane, who overlooked her physical traits and whom she later found repulsive and stupid, was unexciting and lacked mutual love.
- Mr. Sloane overtly lusted after Elizabeth, making lewd comments and masturbating to girlie magazines, worsening their marriage with his undeserved self-confidence.
- Harriet recognized Mr. Sloane's ugliness stemmed from his unpleasant inner traits and vowed not to adopt his judgmental attitude, especially after his objectification of Elizabeth and his death.
- Harriet silently wished for Elizabeth to contact her for support, reflecting a change in her attitude towards her former judgments.
- Elizabeth hesitated to call Harriet but acknowledged her need for guidance after becoming a single mother to a daughter named Mad.
- Elizabeth felt irrational anger towards the deceased Calvin, which inadvertently led to her baby being named "Mad Zott" on the birth certificate.
- Elizabeth struggled to find a fitting name for her daughter but none seemed suitable until Six-Thirty, the dog, inspired the name "Madeline" from Proust's book.
- Changing the baby's name officially required a bureaucratic process that Elizabeth decided to avoid, secretly agreeing to call her Madeline despite "Mad" being the legal name.
- Mad showed distaste for certain visitors, leading Elizabeth to worry about her own personal character and how Mad would judge her in the future.
- Elizabeth viewed Harriet as a source of real wisdom, akin to a "practical priest," prompting her to finally initiate contact.
- At the end of the chapter, Elizabeth calls Harriet, who hastily agrees to come over, hinting at the beginnings of a supportive relationship.