47 pages 1 hour read

Jane Smiley

Perestroika In Paris

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2020

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Part 2, Chapter 15-EpilogueChapter Summaries & Analyses

Part 2, Chapter 15 Summary

The narrator says that though humans intend to get stuff done, they do so slowly compared to the speed of a bird. So, while everyone wants to accomplish something, they rarely do so as time continues to move forward. The only person unaffected by events is Madame, who can no longer see or hear what is happening around her. She focuses on her knitting and finishing her afghan blanket. Only a few yarn skeins are left, which means the afghan is nearly complete.

Raoul flies away from his usual locations to prove he can fly like the younger ravens. However, he gets lost and exhausted, which leads him to crash land on the racetrack. There, Delphine is training the new racehorse who has replaced Paras. While Raoul rests, a flock of ducks lands nearby; Sid separates from the group, discusses the counseling he’s undergone, and asks about his ducklings at home. When Raoul admits he does not know how he got there, Sid offers to let Raoul fly with the flock so they can fly home together. Raoul agrees and returns to the pond, where he perches in a tree while Nancy introduces the ducklings to their father.