Look Homeward, Angel

Eugene returns to university and thrives in his new active social life. He writes for the university newspaper; some of his pieces are even published in the local Altamont paper. Eugene also visits Ben, who has moved to a small tobacco town and now lives with a widow. Still heartbroken from Laura’s sudden departure and subsequent marriage, Eugene becomes intrigued by other students’ “stories of princely wages” in which “one could earn twelve dollars a day, with no experience” (414). He decides to spend his summer in Norfolk and departs after a short visit to Altamont, with $25.

Eugene believes his journey to Virginia is drawing him closer to Laura, who “slept unwitting of the devouring wheels that brought him to her” (416). Eugene spends all his money after four days in Norfolk, and he wanders among the transient crowds “with matted uncut hair that fell into his eyes, that shot its spirals through the rents of his old green hat, that curled in a thick scroll up his dirty neck” (418). Out of money and evicted from his lodgings, Eugene sleeps in all-night lunchrooms and grows hungrier by the day. Although still haunted by Laura, Eugene decides not to go find her and instead fantasizes about running into her accidentally in the street. Growing dirtier and hungrier by the day, Eugene seeks work but discovers that the work he does find will not result in payment for two weeks. Desperate, Eugene pawns a watch Eliza gifted him and uses the money to travel to a nearby flying field rumored to provide work and housing.

After lying about his age, Eugene secures employment at the flying field, where he works for one month. “Hungry again for the ships and face,” Eugene leaves his position and spends his money “in a week of gaudy riot” (421) before teaming up with another Altamont boy named Sinker Jordan. The boys pool their money and purchase carpenter’s equipment they do not know how to use in the hopes of gaining employment and learning the trade as they go; this plan backfires. Eugene finds new work and borrows money from a coworker to survive the first two weeks without pay. Sinker and Eugene spend this money in bouts of unlucky gambling and lush spending. While Sinker borrows from other workers to eat and survive, Eugene refuses to ask for help and starves. Unable to rise after taking a quick rest during a long work shift, “he lay, half conscious, sprawled upon the oats” as “life glimmered away out of his weary eyes” (424). The coworker he borrowed money from rescues Eugene and buys him food while chastising him for not asking for help sooner. Eugene and Sinker finally get paid and dine lavishly before Sinker returns to Altamont. Eugene remains in Virginia.

Eugene agrees to work an extra job loading TNT and nitroglycerin onto a ship. Excited at the prospect of this dangerous work, Eugene “was definitely in on it, risking his hide for Democracy. He was thrilled” (428). As the summer dies down, Eugene forgets about Laura and meets up with Luke, who “bullied him with blustering reproof” (429) over his drastic weight loss of approximately 30 pounds. In September Eugene journeys home to Altamont “touched with pride and victory. In his pockets he had $130 that he had won hardily by own toil” (429). He stops in Richmond for several days and revels in his newfound confidence and pride before writing one last letter to Laura James, “a pitiable and boasting letter” (430). Immediately ashamed of the letter as soon as he sends it, Eugene realizes in the end that “she had beaten him again” (430).