Babbitt Chapter 31 Summary

(Sections I through II)

  • While he's away from Myra, Babbitt feels guilty about the way he's treated her. Ultimately, he respects her way more than he respects Tanis Judique and The Bunch.
  • When he tries to stay away from Tanis, though, she starts calling him at his office and asking why he doesn't come around anymore. She wants to know that he hasn't forgotten her and she promises not to call him at home again.
  • Five more days go by before Tanis writes a letter to him asking why he still hasn't come around to her apartment.
  • After debating with himself for a while, he decides to go see her.
  • As the week goes by, Babbitt finds himself growing more and more fed up with the people at his Athletic Club and their dumb, rich-people problems.
  • That night, he visits Tanis and finds that she's quite grumpy. He asks her what the matter is, and she answers by ordering him to say that he loves her. He agrees and says it.
  • Shortly after that, though, he gets up to leave and thinks to himself that he'll never see Tanis again. She seems to know it, too, and she wants him to know that she has never wanted to force him into anything. She just feels lonely and likes having him around.