Myra Babbitt Timeline and Summary

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Myra Babbitt Timeline and Summary

  • Myra starts the book as being the dowdy, unsexy wife of George Babbitt. She nags him now and then about stuff like the guest towels, but for the most part, the two of them just sort of tolerate each other.
  • Myra becomes concerned when she learns that George wants to go on a vacation to Maine without her. She suspects him of wanting to be with other women.
  • As Babbitt climbs the Zenith social ladder, Myra helps him give dinner parties for friends. One goes well, the other… not so well.
  • When Myra has to visit some relatives, Babbitt parties all the time while she's away. When she gets back, he tries to pretend that he's happy to see her, but she knows he isn't.
  • While Myra is back, she knows that some sort of change has come over Babbitt. He leaves the house at weird times and comes home drunk. She doesn't realize that he's going off to have an affair with another woman.
  • When Myra gets called away again to visit her sick sister, she asks Babbitt if he wants her to stay. He won't give her a straight answer, though.
  • Once again, Babbitt parties it up while Myra is out of town. He continues his affair and keeps coming home drunk.
  • When Myra comes home a second time, Babbitt can't even pretend to be happy to see her. This eventually leads to fighting, with Myra accusing him of hanging around other women.
  • Things come to a head when Myra gets a case of acute appendicitis and has to go to the hospital for emergency surgery. When she gets out, Babbitt promises to mend his ways and makes good on it.
  • Shortly after returning home, Myra finds out that her son Ted has gone off in the middle of the night and married Eunice Littlefield from next door. She condemns the marriage as rash and irresponsible, although her husband George actually supports it.