Chapter 3 Summary

Mr. Perls leaves, but father and son stay in the dining room. Wilhelm gobbles all the food on the table, including his father's strawberries, washing it all down with several cups of coffee. The old man doesn't understand Wilhelm's slovenliness and his efforts to seem so idealistic. He suggests that his son should cut down on drugs, but Wilhelm protests that he exaggerates, that he only gives himself a little boost against, and then stops short of saying the word, "misery." His father suggests the steam baths in the hotel, massage, and exercise. Wilhelm answers: "Oh, Father, it's nice of you to give me this medical advice, but steam isn't going to cure what ails me." The doctor thinks he makes too much of his problems.

The doctor feels Wilhelm should stop giving his wife so much money. He tells him that Wilhelm's...