The Philosopher Summary

Doctor Parcival has an affinity for George Willard and visits him at the newspaper's office after the editor has left. He tells George long stories about himself, and George admires him and looked forward to his visits.

Doctor Parcival has been in Winesburg for about five years. He arrived from Chicago drunk, got into a fight with the baggage man and wound up in the village lockup. Upon release, he rented a room above a shoe repair shop on the lower end of town and put up a sign announcing himself as a doctor. He has few patients, most being poor and unable to pay, but nonetheless he always seems to have enough money for his purposes. He says that it is not an accident that he has few patients, and it is not because he is a poor doctor. He...