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    All Fours

    by July;, Miranda
    Miranda July’s 2024 novel All Fours follows a 45-year-old semi-famous artist who disrupts her stable Los Angeles life with her husband and child by impulsively announcing a cross-country road trip. The journey becomes a catalyst for self-discovery as she grapples with midlife crises, sexual awakening, and perimenopause, culminating in an unexpected affair. Blending humor and poignancy, the novel explores themes of desire, identity, and the search for reinvention in middle age. July’s autofictional style and candid portrayal of female experience have drawn comparisons to a “perimenopause novel,” marking it as a distinctive entry in contemporary literature.
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    All Fours

    Chapter 27

    by July;, Miranda

    The chap­ter opens with the nar­ra­tor fly­ing to Oak­land to vis­it Kris, rem­i­nisc­ing about a play­ful game they used to play with their tod­dler, Sam. This mem­o­ry sparks an idea: could they recre­ate a sim­i­lar dynam­ic with Kris, using role-play to explore emo­tion­al vul­ner­a­bil­i­ty? The nar­ra­tor imag­ines a sce­nario where Kris con­fess­es to a fic­tion­al affair, allow­ing them to enact a dra­mat­ic rec­on­cil­i­a­tion. This fan­ta­sy high­lights the nar­ra­tor’s desire for intense emo­tion­al con­nec­tion and their con­fi­dence in Kris’s will­ing­ness to engage in such games.

    Upon arrival, the nar­ra­tor notices Kris’s unusu­al mood, marked by detach­ment and avoid­ance. Their usu­al rit­u­als, like gro­cery shop­ping, feel strained, and Kris’s indif­fer­ence to treats or eye con­tact sig­nals deep­er unrest. The ten­sion esca­lates when Kris admits feel­ing hope­less about their com­pat­i­bil­i­ty, cit­ing a triv­ial inci­dent involv­ing lip­stick as emblem­at­ic of larg­er issues. The nar­ra­tor is baf­fled, dis­miss­ing the con­cern as irra­tional, but Kris’s silence and avoid­ance sug­gest a more seri­ous rift.

    The sit­u­a­tion reach­es a break­ing point when Kris sug­gests tak­ing time apart, leav­ing the nar­ra­tor stunned and des­per­ate. In a dra­mat­ic ges­ture, the nar­ra­tor removes a sym­bol­ic ring and storms out, hop­ing Kris will chase after them. When this doesn’t hap­pen, they return to Kris’s cot­tage, only to be met with cold indif­fer­ence. Kris’s show­ered and changed appear­ance, along with her readi­ness to go out, under­scores the final­i­ty of the moment, leav­ing the nar­ra­tor reel­ing.

    The next morn­ing, the nar­ra­tor attempts to rec­on­cile, tex­ting Kris with apolo­gies and a request to reunite. Kris agrees but warns she may not be able to talk, which the nar­ra­tor inter­prets as a pos­i­tive sign. How­ev­er, Kris’s sub­se­quent text—revealing she had sex with Elsa, the very role-play char­ac­ter the nar­ra­tor had imagined—shatters any hope of rec­on­cil­i­a­tion. The chap­ter ends with the nar­ra­tor in shock, the real­i­ty of the breakup sink­ing in amidst the cru­el irony of their ear­li­er fan­ta­sy.

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    FAQs

    • 1. How does the narrator’s memory of playing “I’m back!” with Sam contrast with their current relationship dynamics with Kris?

      Answer:
      The childhood game with Sam represents a secure, playful dynamic where separation was temporary and reconciliation was guaranteed with dramatic affection. In contrast, the narrator’s relationship with Kris shows instability and uncertainty—while they fantasize about recreating this game through roleplay (“confessing” a liaison with Elsa), the reality is that Kris’s emotional distance and eventual breakup threat create genuine distress. The memory highlights what the narrator craves (security and playful intimacy) versus what they’re experiencing (real relationship anxiety and potential abandonment).

      2. Analyze the significance of the gold buckle ring scene. What does this moment reveal about both characters?

      Answer:
      When the narrator removes and drops the ring, it’s a performative act of desperation, hoping Kris will intervene to stop the breakup. Kris’s passive reaction (just watching) confirms her emotional detachment, revealing she’s already emotionally checked out. The narrator’s dramatic gesture contrasts with Kris’s calmness, underscoring their mismatched coping mechanisms: the narrator seeks intense reconciliation, while Kris withdraws. The ring symbolizes their connection, and its abandonment mirrors the relationship’s collapse.

      3. How does the narrator’s texting strategy (“proving” calmness by waiting until 10 a.m.) reflect their emotional conflict post-breakup?

      Answer:
      The delayed text attempts to project stability (“I regret being reactionary”) while masking the narrator’s turmoil (sleeplessness, incoherence at Sharon’s). This contradiction reveals their denial—they believe suppressing emotions will fix things, ignoring Kris’s clear disinterest (“I might not be able to talk”). The strategy backfires when Kris’s confession about Elsa shatters the narrator’s fantasy of silent reconciliation, exposing their avoidance of the relationship’s real issues.

      4. Why might Kris’s comparison of the narrator to her mother (“My mom was like that”) be particularly damaging to their relationship?

      Answer:
      Kris’s comment frames the narrator’s behavior (rejecting a kiss over lipstick) as reminiscent of her mother’s emotional withholding, implying deeper incompatibility. This comparison personalizes the conflict, suggesting the narrator triggers childhood wounds rather than being a safe partner. The narrator’s attempt to fix it (“I love kissing you!”) fails because Kris isn’t critiquing a single action but a perceived pattern tied to familial dysfunction, making resolution nearly impossible.

      5. Evaluate the irony in Kris’s confession about Elsa. How does it intersect with the narrator’s earlier fantasies?

      Answer:
      The narrator had fantasized about roleplaying Kris’s “confession” as Elsa to simulate jealousy and reconciliation (“the void had been touched”). The reality—Kris actually slept with Elsa and coldly reveals it—twists this fantasy into tragedy. The irony lies in the narrator’s desire to control the narrative (playful, safe) versus the uncontrollable pain of the real betrayal, highlighting the gap between their imaginative coping mechanisms and harsh reality.

    Quotes

    • 1. “Could I play this game with Kris? Could I have sex with her as Elsa Penbrook-Gibbard, like last time, then become myself again so Kris could ‘confess her liaison’?”

      This quote captures the protagonist’s complex psychological game of roleplay and emotional manipulation, revealing the depth of their relational dynamics and the blurred lines between identity, performance, and intimacy.

      2. “She hung her head and after a long time she said, I feel hopeless about us. We’re not compatible.”

      A pivotal moment in the chapter where Kris expresses her emotional withdrawal, marking the turning point in their relationship and setting the stage for the protagonist’s unraveling.

      3. “I jumped up like lightning, grabbed my purse, pulled up the handle on my wheelie bag—click-click. My ears were popping; my brain and muscles were flooded with thin fluid.”

      This visceral description illustrates the protagonist’s panicked reaction to rejection, showcasing their emotional fragility and the physical manifestation of their distress.

      4. “Before you come over I should mention I had sex with Elsa.”

      The shocking final message that brings the protagonist’s earlier fantasy full circle in the cruelest possible way, demonstrating how reality can mirror and distort our imagined scenarios.

    Quotes

    1. “Could I play this game with Kris? Could I have sex with her as Elsa Penbrook-Gibbard, like last time, then become myself again so Kris could ‘confess her liaison’?”

    This quote captures the protagonist’s complex psychological game of roleplay and emotional manipulation, revealing the depth of their relational dynamics and the blurred lines between identity, performance, and intimacy.

    2. “She hung her head and after a long time she said, I feel hopeless about us. We’re not compatible.”

    A pivotal moment in the chapter where Kris expresses her emotional withdrawal, marking the turning point in their relationship and setting the stage for the protagonist’s unraveling.

    3. “I jumped up like lightning, grabbed my purse, pulled up the handle on my wheelie bag—click-click. My ears were popping; my brain and muscles were flooded with thin fluid.”

    This visceral description illustrates the protagonist’s panicked reaction to rejection, showcasing their emotional fragility and the physical manifestation of their distress.

    4. “Before you come over I should mention I had sex with Elsa.”

    The shocking final message that brings the protagonist’s earlier fantasy full circle in the cruelest possible way, demonstrating how reality can mirror and distort our imagined scenarios.

    FAQs

    1. How does the narrator’s memory of playing “I’m back!” with Sam contrast with their current relationship dynamics with Kris?

    Answer:
    The childhood game with Sam represents a secure, playful dynamic where separation was temporary and reconciliation was guaranteed with dramatic affection. In contrast, the narrator’s relationship with Kris shows instability and uncertainty—while they fantasize about recreating this game through roleplay (“confessing” a liaison with Elsa), the reality is that Kris’s emotional distance and eventual breakup threat create genuine distress. The memory highlights what the narrator craves (security and playful intimacy) versus what they’re experiencing (real relationship anxiety and potential abandonment).

    2. Analyze the significance of the gold buckle ring scene. What does this moment reveal about both characters?

    Answer:
    When the narrator removes and drops the ring, it’s a performative act of desperation, hoping Kris will intervene to stop the breakup. Kris’s passive reaction (just watching) confirms her emotional detachment, revealing she’s already emotionally checked out. The narrator’s dramatic gesture contrasts with Kris’s calmness, underscoring their mismatched coping mechanisms: the narrator seeks intense reconciliation, while Kris withdraws. The ring symbolizes their connection, and its abandonment mirrors the relationship’s collapse.

    3. How does the narrator’s texting strategy (“proving” calmness by waiting until 10 a.m.) reflect their emotional conflict post-breakup?

    Answer:
    The delayed text attempts to project stability (“I regret being reactionary”) while masking the narrator’s turmoil (sleeplessness, incoherence at Sharon’s). This contradiction reveals their denial—they believe suppressing emotions will fix things, ignoring Kris’s clear disinterest (“I might not be able to talk”). The strategy backfires when Kris’s confession about Elsa shatters the narrator’s fantasy of silent reconciliation, exposing their avoidance of the relationship’s real issues.

    4. Why might Kris’s comparison of the narrator to her mother (“My mom was like that”) be particularly damaging to their relationship?

    Answer:
    Kris’s comment frames the narrator’s behavior (rejecting a kiss over lipstick) as reminiscent of her mother’s emotional withholding, implying deeper incompatibility. This comparison personalizes the conflict, suggesting the narrator triggers childhood wounds rather than being a safe partner. The narrator’s attempt to fix it (“I love kissing you!”) fails because Kris isn’t critiquing a single action but a perceived pattern tied to familial dysfunction, making resolution nearly impossible.

    5. Evaluate the irony in Kris’s confession about Elsa. How does it intersect with the narrator’s earlier fantasies?

    Answer:
    The narrator had fantasized about roleplaying Kris’s “confession” as Elsa to simulate jealousy and reconciliation (“the void had been touched”). The reality—Kris actually slept with Elsa and coldly reveals it—twists this fantasy into tragedy. The irony lies in the narrator’s desire to control the narrative (playful, safe) versus the uncontrollable pain of the real betrayal, highlighting the gap between their imaginative coping mechanisms and harsh reality.

    Note