Simple Summaries

The Eleventh Edition

Leo Litwak

Simple Summary by Sarah Frank

·      Russ moves to college in Detroit and gets a job

·      Russ Hansen loves his professor’s teachings (Profesor Diekman)

·      Russ forgets who he is and where he is from

·      Russ learns German to understand more of his professor

·      Russ becomes desperate for human interaction

·      Professor Diekman finally commends Russ for his work on his papers

·      à Russ is invited to special dinners (think Slughorn) on Fridays at Professor Diekman’s home

o  This group was all male and called the Diekman circle

·      “I was tremendously excited by these sessions. The ordinary world seemed illuminated and transformed.”

o  He makes everything seem good and grand and interesting

·      Russ is driving and saw his old neighbor, Frank Walsh, walking aimlessly

o  Frank clearly has some memory problems

o  Russ helps him out (reluctant and disgusted but kind)

·      “At Diekman's that night I mentioned the old man and the tragedy of old age and the apparent failure of community. There was a time, Diekman said, when old age was no tragedy”

·      Diekman saw himself as their leader (abbot)

·      Frank Walsh goes missing --> checked himself into a social worker place (?) called Eloise

o  “An Eloise doctor said that Walsh would never be back. He walked when set in motion but the spirit had left the machine.”

·      Russ decides that learning is inadequate from the real world

·      Russ leaves the circle without saying anything