All Fours
Chapter 9
by July;, MirandaThe chapter opens with the narrator waiting at a Hertz rental office, observing Davey interact with customers while feeling possessive and unsettled by his attentiveness to others. Her internal monologue reveals a tension between her professional stature and her current fixation on Davey, which overshadows her sense of self. A gray-haired woman seated beside her cryptically comments on her admiration for Davey’s physique, leading to an awkward exchange. The narrator’s discomfort escalates as the woman, later revealed to be Davey’s mother Irene, continues to probe with unsettling familiarity, leaving the narrator flustered and defensive.
Irene’s intrusive demeanor and intimate knowledge of the narrator’s life—gleaned from Davey—create a sense of unease. Over minestrone soup at Sesame Grill, Irene divulges personal details about Davey, including his impending plans to have children with his partner Claire and his alleged dependence on her. The narrator is offended by Irene’s portrayal of Davey as helpless, while Irene simultaneously reveals Davey’s intense attraction to the narrator, framing it in spiritual terms like kundalini energy. The conversation takes a surreal turn as Irene boasts about her son’s sexual education, further unsettling the narrator.
Irene’s monologue becomes increasingly inappropriate as she recounts how she arranged for her friend Audra to introduce Davey to sex as a teenager, framing it as a responsible maternal act. The narrator’s physical discomfort—hunching over the table—mirrors her emotional distress as Irene overshares about Davey’s past. The chapter highlights the narrator’s vulnerability and the invasive nature of Irene’s probing, which blurs boundaries between private and public, past and present. The dynamic underscores the narrator’s conflicted feelings for Davey, caught between attraction and the discomfort of his mother’s revelations.
The chapter concludes with the narrator trapped in the conversation, unable to escape Irene’s relentless disclosures. Irene’s lack of filter and the narrator’s passive resistance create a darkly comedic tension, emphasizing the absurdity of the situation. The encounter leaves the narrator questioning how much Davey has shared about their relationship and what his mother’s motives might be. The chapter masterfully captures the awkwardness, intrusion, and underlying power struggle in this unexpected meeting, leaving the narrator—and reader—wondering what comes next.
FAQs
1. How does the narrator’s reaction to Irene’s comments reveal her complex feelings about Davey?
Answer:
The narrator’s physical and emotional reactions—including ear pressure, forced smiling, and violent fantasies—reveal intense discomfort about her attraction being exposed. Her internal monologue shows both self-consciousness (“I wasn’t being careful with my face”) and protectiveness toward Davey (“I was offended by this characterization of him”). The juxtaposition of her professional stature (“Sometimes people wanted my autograph!”) with her vulnerability in this situation highlights the power imbalance in their relationship. Her decision to leave the Hertz “in solidarity” demonstrates performative defiance while actually confirming Irene’s accusation through avoidance.2. Analyze how Irene’s conversational tactics create psychological tension in this scene.
Answer:
Irene employs a destabilizing mix of intimacy and threat, alternating between confiding (“he’s deeply aroused by you”) and warning (“he’s totally bound in”). Her abrupt subject shifts—from Davey’s puberty to kundalini to his sexual education—keep the narrator off-balance. Specific techniques include faux-innocent questions (“How old are you?”), unsolicited revelations about Davey’s private life, and implied surveillance (“I heard about your four o’clock dates”). The soup-sharing ritual contrasts grotesquely with her graphic descriptions of Davey’s sexual history, mirroring how social niceties mask aggressive interrogation.3. What does this chapter reveal about the narrator’s self-perception versus how others perceive her?
Answer:
The narrator clings to her identity as a respected professional (“I had stature!”) yet feels reduced to a infatuated teenager in Davey’s presence. Irene’s accurate guess about her age (“Forty-five?”) punctures her carefully maintained image, while references to her family and career are weaponized as reasons she shouldn’t pursue Davey. The gap widens between how she wants to be seen (controlled, dignified) and how she behaves (blushing, fleeing). Davey’s mother treats her as a passing fascination, undermining her self-concept as someone uniquely compelling to him.4. How does the setting of mundane locations (Hertz, Sesame Grill) contrast with the emotional intensity of the interactions?
Answer:
The corporate banality of Hertz—with its “connected chairs” and rental transactions—heightens the absurdity of Irene’s mystical claims about Davey’s sexual energy. A family restaurant becomes the stage for inappropriate disclosures about teenage sexuality, with minestrone soup served alongside talk of wet dreams. These everyday spaces emphasize how extraordinary the narrator’s obsession is within normal life. The contrast also mirrors Davey’s duality: a map-explaining employee by day, a kundalini-practicing erotic figure in the narrator’s imagination.5. Evaluate Irene’s motives in confronting the narrator. What strategic purpose might this serve in the larger narrative?
Answer:
Irene appears to be simultaneously warning the narrator away and indulging in vicarious thrill by discussing her son’s sexuality. Her stated goal—protecting Davey’s impending parenthood with Claire—clashes with her lurid storytelling, suggesting she enjoys the power to unsettle. This encounter foreshadows future conflicts by: 1) confirming Davey has confessed their relationship, 2) exposing his psychological dependence on Claire, and 3) introducing mystical elements (kundalini) that may influence their dynamic. Irene’s interference forces the narrator to confront the reality that Davey exists within a web of familial obligations.
Quotes
1. “In some alternate dimension I engaged with other people, too. And I had stature! Sometimes people wanted my autograph! But I couldn’t even hold that idea in my mind for one second before it was overwhelmed by a new and much more profound thought: Who cares.”
This quote captures the narrator’s intense fixation on Davey, where even her professional accomplishments and public recognition feel trivial compared to her obsession. It highlights the all-consuming nature of infatuation and how it can eclipse one’s sense of self.
2. “‘I’ve seen that look before,’ she said. ‘It always surprises me because he was late to puberty, still looked like a little boy until he was sixteen or seventeen. And then all of a sudden: women in the grocery store, girls on the street, grandmothers.’”
Davey’s mother, Irene, reveals her son’s late-blooming attractiveness and the universal appeal he now holds. This moment is significant as it exposes the narrator’s visible desire for Davey and introduces the awkward dynamic of a mother commenting on her adult son’s sexual magnetism.
3. “‘I will say this: he’s deeply aroused by you.’ She paused to take a long slurp of soup. ‘In terms of eros, this surpasses any experience he’s had so far. I’ve seen it myself, when he talks about you.’”
Irene’s blunt revelation about her son’s intense attraction to the narrator creates both tension and validation. This quote is pivotal as it confirms the mutual desire between the narrator and Davey while highlighting the uncomfortable intimacy of a mother discussing her son’s sexual energy.
4. “‘The day I saw stains on the sheets I called up my best friend, Audra… I said, “Audra, Davey’s having wet dreams. It’s time.“’”
This shocking anecdote about Davey’s sexual initiation by his mother’s friend demonstrates Irene’s unorthodox parenting style. The quote is significant for its jarring intimacy, revealing how Davey’s mother orchestrated his sexual education in a way that blurs boundaries between maternal care and inappropriate involvement.