Chapters 19-20 Summary

Paula thinks back to the first time she brought Charlo home to have tea and meet her parents. He was the only boy she had ever brought home, and she was somewhat nervous about having him meet her father. Paula was surprised and touched to see that Charlo was making an effort to be polite to her family, calling them by their proper names, and making light conversation about television. However, she could see from her father's mannerisms that he had decided to hate Charlo even before meeting him. Seething, Paula helped her mother prepare the dinner to her father's exact specifications.

Paula noticed that her parents had changed in the last few years. Her mother had become a smaller, quieter shadow of herself, living life to keep house and obey her husband. Paula's father had become more of a tyrant...