Summary

Francie decides to only write comedies. She begins dating a male student whom she believes to have a good sense of humor. She begins writing stories about him and the jokes he makes. Francie’s classmates refer to the humor in these stories as “self-contempt giving rise to comic form” (121). Francie’s academic advisor tells her that she is neglecting the courses related to her major. She continues to take creative writing seminars over the following years, and her classmates continue to ask the same types of rhetorical questions when analyzing each other’s work. They continue to dislike Francie’s stories, and she often feels demoralized. Her boyfriend suggests taking up bicycling, and her roommate suggests that she end her relationship with her boyfriend. Francie only feels happy when she is writing late at night in a state of exhilaration. She decides to...