(Sections I through II)
- The more Myra defends the business community to Babbitt, the more he can feel himself growing distant from his wife.
- One night, though, Myra is awakened by a terrible pain in her side. Babbitt calls the doctor, who comes and eventually diagnoses Myra with acute appendicitis. She has to go to the hospital instantly for an operation.
- Myra's condition is probably not fatal, but the possibility of her dying makes Babbitt ashamed of how selfish he's been. He rejects all of his rebelliousness from the past few months and promises to be a good little boy and start conforming again if his wife can make it.
- When Myra comes out of her operation fit as a fiddle, Babbitt turns over a new leaf and goes back to being his old self… sort of.
- While Myra is in the hospital, some of Babbitt's old friends visit. Vergil Gunch seems to realize that the incident has changed Babbitt's mind about things, and he uses the opportunity to mend some bridges with the guy. All is forgiven and the two become friends again.
- Within two weeks, there's no one in Zenith more aggressive about criticizing Seneca Doane and socialists than George F. Babbitt.