All Fours
Chapter 8
by July;, MirandaThe chapter opens with the narrator arriving early for a meeting, carefully dressed in a low-key but flattering outfit. She spots Davey waiting outside, looking freshly showered and dressed in a skater-style button-down shirt. Their encounter is interrupted by a young couple Davey knows, and the narrator feels awkward as they join the group. The woman in the couple, with long hair and a revealing outfit, seems to judge the narrator’s attire, adding to her discomfort. The group heads inside, where the narrator observes the bar’s clean, smoke-free environment, contrasting it with her memories of rowdier establishments.
Inside the bar, the narrator notes the absence of drunks, remarking that the patrons seem like coworkers unwinding after work. Davey teasingly questions how often she goes out, prompting her to reflect on her isolated life spent working in her garage for the past fifteen years. As they sit outside, she muses about Davey’s physique, comparing it to classical art proportions, and feels a rare sense of relaxation. She tries to explain her creative process, describing it as a romance with life, where she captures its elusive essence through her work. The tequila and conversation make her appreciate the simplicity of socializing.
The tone shifts as the narrator playfully guesses Davey’s secret passion, suggesting careers like chef or athlete. He reveals he’s a hip-hop dancer, which initially amuses her, leading to a moment of tension when he assumes she finds him silly. She denies this, but the conversation takes a darker turn when Davey mentions her famous work, revealing he recognized her all along. The narrator realizes he’s a fan who sought her out deliberately, shattering her illusion of a spontaneous connection.
The chapter concludes with the narrator grappling with the revelation that Davey is a stalker, not a chance acquaintance. He admits to tracking her movements from the gas station to the restaurant, leaving her feeling manipulated and vulnerable. Her initial excitement about the encounter turns to unease as she processes the calculated nature of their interaction. The chapter ends on a note of disorientation, as the narrator confronts the unsettling reality of her fame and the boundaries it blurs in personal relationships.
FAQs
1. How does the narrator’s self-perception contrast with how Davey perceives her?
Answer:
The narrator initially believes Davey is interested in her due to her physical appearance and charm (“Because I was such a great beauty? So magnetic and witty?”). However, she later realizes he recognizes her as a famous artist whose work impacted him at age sixteen. This reveals a disconnect between her assumption of a personal connection and the reality of her public persona. The narrator feels “neutered” by this fame, contrasting with how Davey views her with admiration for her artistic achievements rather than her current identity.2. Analyze the significance of the narrator’s observation about modern bars compared to her past experiences.
Answer:
The narrator notes the bar’s cleanliness and the absence of the gritty atmosphere she associates with pre-smoking-ban establishments. She remarks, “These people all seem like coworkers unwinding after work,” highlighting how social spaces have become more sanitized and less chaotic. This observation underscores her isolation and generational disconnect—having spent “fifteen years” focused on her work, she’s out of touch with contemporary social norms. The contrast emphasizes her alienation and the passage of time she hadn’t fully acknowledged.3. How does the revelation of Davey’s intentional pursuit of the narrator change the tone of their interaction?
Answer:
Initially, their encounter seems serendipitous, but the discovery that Davey tracked her down (“I knew you’d be there”) shifts the dynamic from casual to unsettling. The narrator’s slow-motion realization (“underwater”) conveys her discomfort with being stalked, even by a fan. This twist critiques the invasiveness of fame, as Davey’s admiration crosses into manipulation. The narrator’s earlier vulnerability—opening up about her creative process—now feels exploited, complicating her initial enjoyment of their connection.4. What does the narrator’s description of her creative process reveal about her relationship with art?
Answer:
She describes work as a “romance with life,” where she commands elusive experiences into clarity (“I could name each thing… as if it loved me”). This metaphor portrays art as both empowering and precarious—a pursuit that feels ephemeral (“always out of my control”). Her passionate explanation to Davey contrasts with his fandom, highlighting her deep, personal engagement with creativity versus his external appreciation. The tension between these perspectives foreshadows their later conflict over authenticity and perception.5. Evaluate the symbolism of Davey’s “upside-down triangle” physique in the context of the narrator’s musings.
Answer:
The narrator speculates whether his proportions hold “ancient resonance,” linking his body to classical art and cosmic harmony (“Celestial music”). This reflects her tendency to intellectualize and romanticize mundane details, a habit honed through her work. However, the irony lies in her overlooking the immediate reality—Davey’s ulterior motives—as she searches for deeper meaning. The triangle becomes a metaphor for misplaced focus: she admires abstract beauty but misses the manipulative truth beneath the surface.
Quotes
1. “I had just spent every waking moment trying to get across what life seemed like to me, only allowing undeniable things—the child, a bad case of the flu, hunger and thirst—to take me away from this trying. And apparently time had, meanwhile, been passing—great swaths of it, whole decades.”
This quote captures the narrator’s realization of how her intense focus on creative work has caused her to miss the passage of time and changes in the world around her. It highlights the theme of artistic obsession versus lived experience.
2. “Working was a romance with life and like all romances always seemed on the verge of ending, was always out of my control. I said this last part half standing, with my arms grasping the air as if to catch a bird.”
This beautifully expresses the narrator’s passionate yet precarious relationship with her creative process. The physical description of her gesture while explaining this adds vividness to her emotional state during this bar conversation.
3. “This is what fame had bought me: a disciple. But not the kind famous men had, not a young woman eager to suck the wisdom out of my dick. My fame neutered me.”
This sharp observation reveals the narrator’s uncomfortable realization about the nature of her fame and its gendered implications. It marks a turning point in her understanding of the dynamic with Davey.
4. “Not just a fan, a stalker.”
This blunt, short sentence delivers a powerful revelation that shifts the entire context of the narrator’s interactions with Davey. It comes as a sudden realization that undermines her previous assumptions about their connection.