Manley Pointer Timeline and Summary

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Manley Pointer Timeline and Summary

  • On Friday, before lunch, Manley arrives, tries to sell Mrs. Hopewell a Bible, and gets himself invited to stay to eat.
  • After lunch, he hangs out with Mrs. Hopewell for a few hours.
  • As he's leaving the farm he encounters Hulga, and using his "You ever ate a chicken that was two days old?" pickup line, lands a date with her the following day (which is the day the story is set) at 10:00 AM.
  • Come date time, Manley hides behind a bush and pops out from behind it when he sees Hulga.
  • As they walk, he expresses interest in her wooden leg and kisses her.
  • They talk about God, nothing, and damnation.
  • Manley suggests they find a quiet place, and Hulga leads him to the barn loft.
  • More kissing ensues, and he stealthily pockets her glasses.
  • Manley asks Hulga if she loves him.
  • He wants her to say she loves him, and also to prove it by letting him remove her leg.
  • After she succumbs on both counts, Manley opens his Bible to reveal its true contents: booze, cards, and condoms.
  • Hulga is not impressed and insists on having her leg back.
  • Manley soon exits the barn loft, taking his stuff, and Hulga's leg and glasses with him.
  • Before he goes, he makes sure she knows he's "been believing in nothing ever since [he] was born" (142).