Hank becomes involved with Joyce, a beautiful 23-year-old Texan with long blonde hair and substantial wealth. He’s 36 and still drinks heavily. They have fun and attend the racetrack together, but Hank quickly finds that managing both Joyce and the constant attention she receives from other men is exhausting. Joyce demands marriage, so they have a quick Vegas wedding before moving to her small Texas hometown, leaving Hank with just 75 cents to his name. Hank notices the intense attention and scrutiny he receives from the small-town locals, who are both envious of Joyce’s wealthy family and curious about him. Joyce indulges him with food and nonstop sexual activity, leaving him exhausted but entertained, though the constant pleasure and attention are physically painful at times.

Hank notes attempts by Joyce’s family to intimidate him. A nervous driver with dwarfism, sent by Joyce’s father or grandfather, shows him the family’s property holdings in a high-speed, erratic tour through town, which Hank interprets as a veiled threat. Despite the bizarre circumstances, Hank plays along with the driver’s perception that he has intentionally married into wealth; he can tell the driver respects him. Meanwhile, Joyce continues her relentless sexual pursuit, leaving Hank simultaneously amused, overwhelmed, and wary of the complex social dynamics surrounding him.

Joyce’s father despises Hank, convinced that he’s after the family’s money. Hank insists that he wants neither the money nor Joyce. Her father’s ire toward Hank only increases when he walks in on them in bed together. Hank’s reaction sends him storming out in anger. Joyce’s grandfather, Wally, is more welcoming, often drinking whiskey with Hank and playing cowboy records, though Hank suspects him of enjoying the occasional prank at his expense. The grandmother is indifferent but softens slightly after Hank takes her side during her disputes with Joyce.

After a meal out with the family, Wally offers to show Hank some buffalo. He leads him to a vast, empty field and encourages him to walk in, apparently setting up a joke. Expecting them to drive away, Hank is instead confronted by three charging buffalo. He runs for the fence as the ground shakes under their hooves, barely making it over before landing in a ditch. The family finds the incident hilarious, and the story spreads around town, leaving Hank a bit humbled. Though he needs a haircut, he avoids the barbershop because of the buffalo incident. Joyce cuts his hair herself, but the result is uneven and poorly done.

Joyce abruptly decides she wants to go back to the city. Hank is reluctant: He finds life in the country enjoyable, particularly Joyce’s cooking. He feels that good food steadies the nerves and builds courage. Still, Joyce grows tired of the constant conflict with her grandmother and insists on leaving.

Hank, conversely, enjoys the notoriety he has gained. He relishes the role of outsider, even forcing the town bully to back down after deliberately defying a local tradition by wearing a suit instead of jeans on “blue jean day.” His defiance gives him a sense of control over the town. He also befriends the local doctor, a drug user who tells Hank he has carved out a good life there with no pressure and plenty of freedom. However, Hank admits that the decision isn’t his and lets Joyce dictate their next move.

Joyce’s grandfather gives her a large check, allowing her and Hank to rent a house in the city. Wanting to prove that she and Hank aren’t just using her family for money, Joyce insists that they both find jobs. Hank dismisses the idea, claiming that true wisdom lies in surviving without working. Still, he agrees to her plan after convincing her that he needs a car first, which her grandfather also pays for. Hank soon has a new Plymouth, a suit, and expensive shoes, and reluctantly begins job hunting.

Hank quickly lands work as a shipping clerk in an art store, a position with minimal responsibility. He spends most of his time reading, listening to the radio, or relaxing at a coffee shop while the truck drivers cover for him. The staff tolerates his idleness since they’re running their own schemes by stealing from the store, and Hank avoids interfering. Though content with the ease of his situation, he feels little satisfaction in petty theft, insisting that he either wants everything or nothing at all.

Thousands of flies infest Hank and Joyce’s apartment complex. Hank sprays them with insecticide until his lungs ache, but it makes little difference. He describes his first night with Joyce in their new bedroom, where pots of geraniums sit on a ledge encircling the bed. As they have sex, the boards shake and the pots repeatedly fall onto him, hitting his back and rolling down his body. Despite his protests, Joyce insists that he keep going, unfazed by the interruptions. Afterward, Hank suggests moving the plants, but Joyce refuses, claiming the falling pots add to the experience. She laughs off his complaints, and the geraniums remain in place.

Hank grows miserable at work and starts drinking every night. He tells Joyce that his manager, Freddy, constantly whistles the same song, “Around the World in Eighty Days,” from morning until night, which drives him nearly insane. Joyce suggests that he find another job, but insists that he keep working until he has something else lined up, reminding him that they need to prove their independence. Reluctantly, Hank agrees.

Hank runs into an old drinking acquaintance who claims to be working as a postal clerk and insists the job is easy. Naively believing him, Hank decides to reapply for postal work, this time choosing “clerk” instead of “carrier” on the civil service exam. By the time he receives notice to report for swearing-in, Freddy has stopped his constant whistling, but Hank is already set on the new job. He casually tells Freddy that he might take a longer lunch break for personal business, unaware that this choice will mark the beginning of a much longer departure.

Hank joins a group of about 150-200 people to be sworn in as postal clerks, filling out paperwork before taking the oath. The official reminds them that the job offers lifelong security, but Hank compares this supposed stability to the security of prison, which at least meets basic needs without the burdens of ordinary life. He reflects that most people can’t handle postal work, and over the years, he watches each new group of recruits quickly dwindle to only a few survivors who last long enough to replace those retiring.

A guide shows Hank and the other recruits around the building. The tour takes so long that lunch is over two hours late. Finally, they’re given punch cards to clock in. He doesn’t clock out for another 12.5 hours.

Hank and the others set to work sorting the mail. The work is dull and monotonous, and the repetitive motion is exhausting. Some nearly fall asleep. The manager reminds him of Jonstone, wearing a familiar look of disdain toward his employees. They’re allowed two 10-minute breaks in an eight-hour shift. Still, the pay is good, and Hank thinks he might get used to it. He never does.

After 10 hours of sorting, the supervisor moves the workers to a new aisle and introduces a production quota of finishing each tray of mail in 23 minutes. The others rush frantically, driven by fear of failure, while Hank deliberately takes his time. When the supervisor points him out as being ahead and already halfway through his second tray, even though he’s still on his first, Hank realizes that the system is absurd, and he slows down even more.

Hank’s 12-hour shift ends at 3:30 am. Substitute mail clerks don’t receive overtime pay. The next morning, Hank sets his alarm early enough to go to the art store. He quits on the spot, collects his last check, and goes back to the post office.

While working exhausting 12-hour night shifts, Hank struggles with Joyce’s constant sexual demands during the day. Adding to the chaos, she adopts a small, hairy dog named Picasso. The dog is clearly slow-witted and constantly creates messes, attracting swarms of flies when left outside. Despite Hank’s frustration, he repeatedly rescues the dog from neglect, while Joyce dismisses his concerns. The cycle of fatigue, sex, and domestic problems leaves Hank drained as he continues to wait for Joyce’s promised inheritance.

Hank witnesses Joyce kicking Picasso out of anger for licking her ankle. The dog whimpers, running in little circles and dripping urine. Hank, enraged, throws a glass against the cupboard, shattering it. Joyce covers her face, thinking he’s going to hit her. Instead, he rescues Picasso and holds him, comforting the trembling animal. Joyce begins sweeping the glass, sobbing violently as she tries to hide her distress. Hank carefully picks her up from behind, holding her against him and slowly easing her intense emotion.

Once Joyce begins to relax, Hank continues to soothe her with kisses and gentle touch. Gradually, she allows him to come closer, responding with a faint smile and laughter. Hank carries her to the bedroom, and they engage in an intimate encounter, shaking the geraniums above the bed. Afterward, he strokes her hair and whispers to her until she feels safe and comforted. Joyce eventually gets up, moves to the kitchen, and begins washing dishes while singing, back to normal. Hank reflects on the chaos, thinking that Steve McQueen couldn’t have handled the situation better.

After a meal, Hank tries to convince Joyce to let him quit. He describes the kind of fun they could be having in life. However, she’s still determined to show her parents that they can make it on their own. Hank gives up.

Each night, Joyce lays out Hank’s clothes before his shift, the best clothes that money can buy. He recalls how his mother, too, laid out his clothes for him while he was growing up.

Hank and the other postal workers attend nightly training, which provides a break from sticking mail. The instructor, a large Italian man, lectures them on hygiene and personal appearance, emphasizing that employees are graded not just on production but also on cleanliness. He then moves to a large map, pointing out various global locations and emphasizing anti-Russian sentiment, linking the act of delivering letters to national security and the defeat of foreign enemies. Hank is incredulous but notices that none of the other attendees protest, likely due to their need for a job. At the end of the session, everyone receives a scheme assignment, which designates their postal delivery zone. Hank is assigned Zone 9, the city’s largest and most demanding station.

On the way to the training building, Hank stops to talk with Gus, a former third-ranked welterweight, and they share a quick drink. When he hurries to catch up with the group, the Italian instructor meets him halfway, noting that Hank is late and threatening a warning slip. Hank placates him, and the instructor lets him off this time. Hank notices the instructor has body odor, despite his lectures on personal hygiene.

Hank’s 30-minute nightly training is now devoted to scheme training, where each clerk must learn to sort a deck of cards into their cases with speed and precision. Passing requires throwing 100 cards in eight minutes with at least 95 percent accuracy, and three failures mean termination. The instructors encourage the groups and are themselves graded on their trainees’ success.

Hank, uninterested in participating, stands aside with his hands in his pockets, without attempting the task. He coaches a subordinate, preparing him for the glass-enclosed test space. Hank watches him enter, realizing the high-pressure environment and the stark contrast to his small-town exploits. Looking at his own cards for the first time, he’s shocked. Afterward, he returns to the work floor for the demanding 12-hour shift, where staffing shortages force the remaining clerks to handle all the mail. The intercom announces the cancellation of their promised four days off after working for two weeks.

Joyce begins working for the county Police Department, giving Hank some reprieve from her constant sexual demands during the day. However, she brings home two noisy parakeets that chatter nonstop, preventing him from resting after his 12-hour night shifts and training. He complains to her about the parakeets. Treating him like a child, Joyce tells him to put the birds outside if they annoy him during the day. She heads to work.

Exhausted, Hank tosses and turns in bed until the birds’ incessant noise drives him to fill a cup with water and drench the cage, temporarily silencing them. Picasso bites his ankle. Fed up, Hank carries the cage outside and opens it, setting the birds free. He watches as the first bird hesitates but finally shoots straight into the sky, followed by the second, more hesitant bird. With the birds gone, Hank enjoys a long, uninterrupted sleep for the first time in weeks, accompanied by triumphant dreams. When Joyce discovers the empty cage, she’s angry and calls him a fool, worrying that the birds will die, but Hank insists that they must learn to survive. With Picasso beside him, safe from Joyce’s kicks, Hank finally relaxes, though Joyce eventually resumes her sexual advances, waking him up again.

Joyce becomes infatuated with a man at work, whom Hank calls “Purple Stickpin.” She praises him as a true gentleman after he gives her small gestures of attention. Hank points out that the man’s behavior seems rehearsed. Joyce insists that Purple Stickpin is sincere, while Hank tries to explain that many office romances are nothing more than games people play out of boredom and rarely carry real meaning. Despite his warnings, Joyce clings to her belief in the man’s charm, and Hank gives up the argument, turning back to the difficult task of memorizing his postal routes.

Hank finally gets a day off and decides to surprise Joyce with an unusual dinner. Instead of buying conventional groceries, he fills his basket with exotic seafood like snails, seaweed, sea spiders, and octopi. He prepares the meal enthusiastically, presenting it to Joyce as a romantic gesture. While he enjoys the food and urges her to try it, Joyce is repulsed after eating a snail and becomes fixated on the idea that they have “tiny little assholes” (87). Disgusted, she runs to the bathroom to vomit, while Hank drunkenly rants about how everyone and everything has a rectum, from animals to people, even Purple Stickpin. Joyce can’t handle his crude humor, and Hank ends the evening drinking sake alone.

On the morning of another rare day off, a week after the snail incident, a process server delivers divorce papers from Joyce, which surprises Hank. Though he isn’t shocked about losing her money, he’s confused since they had just been intimate and are seemingly happy. Joyce admits that she filed during an argument and reveals that she’s leaving him for Purple Stickpin. While Hank responds with a mix of sadness and humor, Joyce breaks down crying, showing genuine regret and emotional turmoil. Hank comforts her, and they have sex one last time before she helps him pack his belongings. Despite her tears and apologies, he leaves the house calmly, driving around to look for a place to rent and treating the separation as almost routine.