Surviving the Applewhites

E.D. is asleep in her room when she is jolted awake by a sudden commotion. Alarmed, she hurries out of her room and runs into her mother, who fears something has happened to Destiny. As they step outside the house, they see Randolph confronting a tall, thin man with a ponytail. E.D. notices her father’s wrecked car and realizes an accident has occurred. Everyone starts shouting at once, including Hal from his bedroom window, until Zedediah intervenes and steps between the two men. The young man introduces himself as Jeremy Bernstein, a writer sent by a literary journal to interview Sybil Jameson. Sybil explains she had forgotten about the interview, and when Randolph admonishes her for her forgetfulness, she expresses her frustration at the lack of family support while grappling with the most challenging project of her career.

Randolph complains that his car is wrecked, and he’s supposed to be at his meeting in 20 minutes. Archie, however, assures him that the car is still drivable, as only the bumper and headlights are affected. Sybil snaps at her husband, “Keep your precious appointment and leave the rest of us to clean up after you” (50), but he ignores her frustration.