45 pages • 1 hour read
Walker PercyThe Moviegoer
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1961A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Part 5Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Part 5, Chapter 1 Summary
Aunt Emily lectures Binx about his irresponsibility in not telling anyone about traveling to Chicago with Kate. He apologizes for the “misunderstanding or thoughtlessness on [his] part” (221), and his aunt explains that she is not angry but in the throes of a new discovery, a discovery that “someone in whom you had placed great hopes was suddenly not there” (221). She continues to berate Binx for “abusing a sacred trust in carrying that poor child off on a fantastic trip like that” (221) and then asks Binx if they were “intimate” (222). He replies that “intimate is not quite the word” (224), which inspires Aunt Emily to continue her energetic rant. Binx is unable to respond to her satisfactorily, so she thanks him for coming over and he leaves. Kate “hails me at the corner” (227) and asks Binx to wait for her at his house.
Part 5, Chapter 2 Summary
It’s both Ash Wednesday and Binx’s birthday, and in a fit of abstract desire, Binx realizes that his “search has been abandoned” (228). After coping with his aunt and “her rightness and her despair, her despairing of me and her despairing of herself” (228), he feels he must “find a girl” (228). He waits for Kate for nearly an hour before calling Sharon at the office, but she does not answer. Again, Binx addresses Rory, explaining that “[i]t is certain now that my aunt is right and that Kate knows it and that nothing is left but Sharon” (229). When he calls Sharon’s house, he speaks to her roommate, who reveals that Sharon is out with her mother and her fiancé. Binx speaks suggestively to the roommate, who invites him over for the following Saturday night. Just as Binx agrees to the plan, he sees Kate, so he suggests to the roommate that he bring along his own fiancée, as he “want[s] you and Sharon to meet her” (231).
When Binx and Kate talk about Aunt Emily’s frustration with Binx, Kate is exasperated that Binx did not tell Aunt Emily that they were going to marry. Binx agrees to go to medical school if Aunt Emily wants him to, as Kate’s money can support them while he isn’t working. Kate expresses self-doubt, admitting to Binx that “[t]he only time I’m not frightened is when I’m with you” (234), and promises to pursue further treatment for her problems.
Part 5, Chapters 1-2 Analysis
Aunt Emily’s interrogation of Binx reveals her suspicion that Binx and Kate have been sexually intimate, the possibility of which makes her very unhappy. She may worry that Binx has taken advantage of Kate while she is in a vulnerable state of mind, which is why Kate is exasperated with Binx for not mentioning to Emily that they are planning to marry. Kate believes that Aunt Emily would be less scandalized by their choices if they were engaged to be married, and the engagement also confirms that Kate’s decision to go to Chicago and be alone with Binx in a romantic way is entirely hers.
The reader may also wonder about Binx’s intentions when he addresses “Rory” again while deciding to try to contact Sharon. It is unclear if Binx is looking for emotional attention from a woman or if his desire is more physical, but either way, Kate appears just in time to prevent him from pursuing Sharon and possibly her roommate, in Sharon’s absence. After all, Binx addresses “Rory” twice in the novel, both times during moments of high stress involving women.
Kate displays unusual clear-mindedness when she talks openly with Binx about her doubts around marriage. Though Kate does express reluctance to get married, her confessions imply trust. Even more trusting are her promises to get more help with her mental health issues, a sign that points towards a positive future for both Binx and Kate.
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