Chapters 28 & 29 Summary and Analysis

Kaysen obtains a job as a typist in the Harvard University billing office. She finds the job stressful, and it appears to carry a huge amount of trivial and discriminatory strictures. For example, women cannot smoke, while men can; women are typists, men are supervisors. Kaysen finds the entire atmosphere intimidating and difficult and makes numerous typing mistakes. She ultimately abandons the job. Valerie then suggests that dental technician would be an optimal job for Kaysen. Kaysen disagrees. Fortunately perhaps for Kaysen, she receives a marriage proposal and is thus spared the decision of career: "In 1968, everybody could understand a marriage proposal" (p. 133).

The chronology of chapter 29 varies from the typical chronological ordering presented in the remainder of the novel. Kaysen covers a period of time prior to, during and after her commitment while discussing the prolonged development of the...