Sometimes a Great Notion

Lee recalls meeting a man named Mr. Siggs when he was institutionalized because of his mental illness. Mr. Siggs prompted Lee to consider life’s spiritual questions, which resurface in the aftermath of the logging accident.

The narrator reveals Indian Jenny’s backstory. She began sex work at age 15 after her father suggested she could make significant money from it. As she got older, she had fewer clients and withdrew from this work.

Local musician Ray smashes his guitar and thrusts his hands into boiling water.

It is Thanksgiving Day. Lee has been staying at a cheap hotel in town. Viv and Hank are at home, while Lee goes to Dr. Layton to talk about Henry. The doctor and Boney Stokes ask Lee whether he going back to school. They express such strong condolences about Henry that Lee grows worried. They tell Lee that Henry has a life insurance policy payable to Lee, and suggest he use it to pay for school. They also offer to pay for Hank’s Thanksgiving dinner.

Lee tells Viv and Hank that he is planning to go back to school. None of them talks about what happened between Viv and Lee. Lee asks about the insurance policy, and Hank says the paperwork is in the attic.