My Name is Lucy Barton

Lucy attends a panel at the library to see Sarah speak. The panel discusses “the idea of fiction: what it was” (106). Sarah recounts the backlash she received about a fictional presidential figure she wrote about in her book. She shares that “her job as a writer of fiction was to report on the human condition, to tell us who we are and what we think and what we do” (107). Inspired by this, Lucy begins writing this story later that evening.

Strout returns to Lucy in the hospital with her mother. Upset, Lucy tries not to cry by squeezing her leg so hard that she bruises herself. The next morning, her doctor notices the bruise. After Lucy begins crying, he wipes away a tear and comforts her.

William offers to pay for Lucy to attend a writing workshop taught by Sarah in Arizona. Sarah does not recognize Lucy from their encounter in the clothing store. One day, a large cat jumps into the classroom. Both Lucy and Sarah jump up in fright. During her private conference with Sarah, Lucy shares pieces she’s written about her mother visiting her in the hospital. Sarah encourages Lucy and offers her advice. At the end of their conference, she hugs Lucy and kisses her own fingers while making a kissing sound, just like the doctor.

Lucy’s mother talks about a girl from Lucy’s hometown. Lucy contemplates why she does not confront her mother about her difficult childhood. She attributes this lack of confrontation to her tendency “to cover for the mistakes of others when they don’t know they have embarrassed themselves” (104). Her mother mentions rumors that the girl from her hometown married a man who suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder. This information paralyzes Lucy, who remembers traumatic moments from her childhood incited by her father’s battle with post-traumatic stress disorder. She attempts to change the conversation. After Lucy expresses her desire to get better, her mother comforts her by stating that she can see into the future and that Lucy will recover. She also shares that Lucy will suffer from marital issues.

Lucy remembers attending her first Gay Pride Parade in the West Village. She is overwhelmed and decides to return home. She flashes back to age 10 when her family still lived in the garage. One day, she witnesses her father forcing her brother to wear women’s clothing and march through the town as her father shouts derogatory terms. Their mother later informs them that their brother had been caught wearing her clothing and that this was his punishment. Later that evening, Lucy recalls her father holding her brother and crying.

Lucy and her mother discuss Elvis Presley. When her mother calls Elvis trash because of his drug use, Lucy refers to their family as trash. Her mother lectures Lucy. She apologizes.

Lucy recollects using the word trash to describe a friend’s memory. She also recalls her high school English teacher instructing her not to use the word cheap when describing a dress.

Lucy’s mother reminds Lucy of a girl named Mississippi Mary who married a wealthy football player and had multiple daughters. Her mother shares how Mary’s husband cheated on her for 13 years with his secretary and how Mary had a heart attack upon discovering the affair. Their discussion about Elvis reminds her mother of Mississippi Mary. She ponders how both Elvis and Mary’s wealth did not save them from their tragic fates.

Lucy remembers visiting a doctor’s office for an anti-aging procedure meant to stop her from looking like her mother. She receives injections around her mouth and returns to the doctor three days later. She observes an elderly woman, a young boy, and his sister. The young boy opens the door for the elderly woman.

On the fifth and last night of her mother’s visit to the hospital, Lucy recounts a memory of her brother being beaten in a field by multiple boys. She also remembers attending a Native American dance ceremony with her father. Early the next morning, Lucy asks her mother if she loves her.

That next day at the hospital, Lucy’s doctor informs her that there may be a blockage and that she may need surgery. Abruptly, Lucy’s mother declares that it is time for her to go home. She leaves Lucy in the hospital. Lucy does not leave for another five weeks.

Lucy details how the hospital uses yellow stickers to mark the doors of patients dying from AIDS. After being left in a hallway on her way for more testing, Lucy meets the eyes of one of these patients. This moment comforts Lucy in the aftermath of her mother’s abandonment.

Lucy reveals that she did not need to have surgery. The kind doctor visits her every day except for Father’s Day. He offers her advice over the years. She stays in the hospital for a total of nine weeks. The doctor charges her for only five visits total.

Worried about her mother, Lucy contemplates calling her mother collect to see if she made it home safely. She remembers calling her mother collect once before after a fight with William. Her mother refused to answer because of the charges. Lucy asks William to call from their house phone. He informs her that her mother arrived safely.

Lucy’s friend Molla visits her in the hospital. She talks about how much she hates her own mother again and informs Lucy that Jeremy has been away. Molla’s visit soothes Lucy.

William visits Lucy. She divulges that their marriage did not last and that they divorced when their daughters were 19 and 20. They both have remarried. During the hospital visit, William is quiet. He has just inherited money from his father. After leaving the hospital, Lucy is plagued by dreams of her and her daughters being killed by the Nazis.

Lucy writes her mother a letter and thanks her for coming to stay with her. Her mother responds with a card of the Chrysler Building, which Lucy treasures. Lucy returns home and reunites with her daughters. She learns that Jeremy has died of AIDS. Lucy wonders if the man she locked eyes with at the hospital was Jeremy. Lucy has lost so much weight from her time in the hospital that she frightens people.

During her childhood, Lucy and her family received free Thanksgiving meals at their church. She and William serve Thanksgiving meals to the homeless for many years until William asks to stop. Lucy shares that she donates money for people to stay warm in the winter.