Taxi Driver Scene 9 Summary

  • Meeting Travis for breakfast, she justifies leaving her parents and running away. Travis tells her she should be going to high school, dating boys, and living a normal life.
  • Iris calls him square and cites women's lib to justify what she's doing.
  • Travis tells her that she shouldn't be hanging out with junkies, killers, and low-lifes.
  • Iris discusses astrology and why she's compatible with Sport, astrologically. She says Sport hasn't beaten her up or anything, but Travis says Sport is "the scum of the earth" and that he called Iris names.
  • Iris says she'd like to move to a commune and invites Travis. He says he doesn't like places like that. She says his sign must be Scorpio.
  • He offers to give her the money to go to this commune and leave if she wants. He says he might be "going away for awhile."
  • Back at the brothel-hotel, Sport and Iris talk—she complains about his neglecting her, but he sweet-talks her and dances with her.
  • Cut to Travis, at the shooting range, firing and hitting the target with accuracy.
  • In his apartment, he polishes his boots and then burns the flowers he bought for Betsy (which he still has) in the sink.
  • He gets ready, and tapes his knife to his boot. He sets aside money for Iris, with a note telling her that by the time she receives it he'll be dead.