Long Island Compromise

Ruth is reminded of Phyllis’s slumlord family background when she discovers Jenny squatting in the brownstone. Ruth went to the brownstone on a hunch, partly to inspect its condition for a potential property sale, though she remains reluctant to sell the brownstone. She feels a growing contempt for the staid mores and status competition of Middle Rock, and the brownstone represents an escapist fantasy for her.

Ruth wonders how far back her issues with Jenny go. She considers that the origin point could have been her decision to break up with her ex-boyfriend, Dale, in favor of Carl because Carl was more practical than Dale. In retrospect, marrying Dale would have allowed her to live a life she considered “normal,” instead of the one where she has to look after Carl’s mental health all the time and her children are insulated by their wealth.

Following Carl’s release, Ruth decided that she no longer wanted to have another baby, so she attempted to end her pregnancy. Phyllis urged her to forget about her anxieties and live normally, but Ruth found this difficult to do. Ruth was referred to a psychologist to unpack the emotional burden of dealing with Carl. The psychologist, Dr. Light, made her aware that she had become dependent on Carl’s emotional stability and that Carl—suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder—would not recover quickly.

At the brownstone, Ruth confronts Jenny about her living situation. Jenny refuses to explain apart from saying that she wants to figure out how she became “rudderless” and “failed to bond with [her] family of origin and to individuate from them” (364). She shares her fantasy of learning to live without money. Ruth argues that the money gave her the freedom to do anything she wanted. Jenny argues otherwise, saying that it instead has trapped her. Ruth leaves when Jenny takes a phone call.

Ruth compares her children to veal calves, recalling a project that Jenny did in middle school. The calves were fattened in crates to prevent them from building muscle before they were slaughtered. Ruth realizes that she was instrumental to her children turning out this way—so sheltered that they lack the strength to stand on their own. She longs for Arthur’s consolation.

In the absence of the companionship she was supposed to have had with Carl, Ruth found a friend in Arthur. Arthur had helped her deal with the aftermath of the kidnapping, even as he was going through his own divorce. Jenny and Beamer have frequently joked that Arthur was plotting to become their stepfather. Ruth turned to him to brace the emotional impact of Phyllis’s death on Carl. Later, Arthur left a note for Ruth to say that he was going on sabbatical. His absence has made her feel alone through recent family developments.

Two weeks later, Ruth decides to visit Carl’s sister, Marjorie, in Forest Hills. She enters the apartment without announcing herself, which scares Marjorie, even though Marjorie has been expecting her. Ruth tells Marjorie to demand her share of her mother’s estate. Since the estate wasn’t included in Phyllis’s will, it is assumed that Marjorie has considerable stake in the property. Marjorie’s claim will help to trigger a sale of the estate, though she is outraged that she hasn’t been given access to the family wealth her entire life. Ruth emphasizes that Marjorie needs to act discreetly so that Carl won’t resist the move to sell. Marjorie opens up about her resentments toward her mother, and it becomes clear that Marjorie, under the influence of drugs, thinks that Ruth is Phyllis. Marjorie acknowledges the liability that the factory poses, which Ruth interprets as her agreement that selling the estate would be the best way to move forward.

Later, Ruth gets a call from Ike, who tells her that the factory is on fire.