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The Price of Salt, or Carol Chapter 13 Summary

How It All Goes Down

  • Richard accuses Therese of being in "some kind of trance" (13.19), we guess from Carol's lesbian magic.
  • They argue, and Richard almost knocks over a statue in the process.
  • He catches the small statue and hands it to Therese…and she smashes it to pieces.
  • Thinking Therese is crazy, Richard leaves.
  • That night, Carol tells Therese she should think about other's feelings for a change.
  • Therese is mad that Carol seems to be siding with Richard.
  • She says she'll just never talk to Richard again and he'll get the hint. Looks like Therese invented ghosting in the 1950s.
  • In the morning, Therese shoos away Carol's maid, Florence, and makes breakfast for Carol.
  • The two women lounge around and Carol tells Therese her work as a stage designer is amateurish.
  • Therese is upset, and she tells Carol that the next gig she had lined up fell through.
  • Carol says she's sorry and pets her head the same way she "might have fondled a dog" (13.111).
  • Later that evening, Harge shows up again; he brings Carol some flowers.
  • Therese wishes she had brought Carol flowers.
  • She assumes it's Carol's birthday, and she doesn't know why Carol didn't tell her.
  • She asks Carol why she didn't tell her it was her birthday.
  • Carol didn't tell her because it isn't her birthday—it's her wedding anniversary.
  • Happy anniversary: the divorce will take six weeks longer than Carol thought.
  • Apropos of nothing, Therese tells Carol she never tore up the check she gave her. It's still in the bedroom.