Book 2, Chapter 2 Summary

Amory consoles himself in a bar. His friends worry about his drinking and help him find a place to sleep. He wakes up the next morning in a hotel and immediately starts drinking again. He tells his friends he wants to kill himself and begins getting in fights and altercations in bars. After several days lost in drinking, he goes to his job to quit. He tries to pick a fight with his boss, but his boss dismisses him. Amory comes home to his apartment four days later, where his friend Tom confronts him. Tom tells Amory that Alec has moved out, and they need a new roommate to make the rent.

Prohibition puts an end to Amory's drinking. He begins reading again and writes a short story that is published in a magazine. Amory avoids his old friends. He has...