Summary

The chapter “The man who paints” takes place after another three-year jump, meaning that Adam and Anita are now 35 years old. Adam grows angry and resentful of Anita, because the house is in disarray while Anita is barely taking care of herself, growing unhealthily gaunt. Anita has begun the part-time work of writing small stories for the local newspaper. Anita combats the feelings of foreignness she experiences in this job by going above and beyond with the research required for each story. She is jealous of Adam, who is able to consistently feel at home. The couple gets into a fight, and they agree that Anita will quit working at the newspaper if, during her meeting with her editor Christian Voubert the next day, she does not receive an increase in responsibility. That night...