The Adventures of Augie March Chapter 17 Summary

  • Augie's skull is cracked and he's lost a tooth.
  • Bizcocho broke his leg and had to be shot by Thea.
  • Augie is taken to the local doctor, a gloomy man.
  • He's bandaged up and can eat only gruel and turkey soup.
  • Thea is disappointed and sends the eagle away to a zoo.
  • As the weeks pass, Thea nurses him. They argue. Augie wants her to go out and not mind him all the time.
  • She goes out to hunt.
  • Augie reads. With all this reading, he could probably write for Shmoop!
  • Moulton and Iggy visit Augie, and he talks with Stella over the garden wall.
  • She seems less well and mentions that she want to talk with Augie soon. She also says they have to move out of the fancy hotel.
  • Augie learns more from Iggy and Moulton. They'll be moving to a villa and Oliver wants to throw a big party for Stella.
  • Bored around the house, Augie hangs a lot with Moulton, playing cards at his hotel, eating elsewhere.
  • Augie is skilled at poker, to the annoyance of his opponents.
  • Thea invites Augie to hunt with her, but he says he's not yet ready.
  • He can tell they're slipping.
  • She doesn't like the gang he hangs out with.
  • For two days she's gone in the mountains.
  • When she returns, Augie isn't home. This upsets her.
  • She starts coming out with him.
  • When the divorce is finalized, Augie proposes to her, but she declines, shaking her head. She's defying her family, but if she's can't become independently wealthy, she'll need them.
  • Augie is sitting on a bench one day and notices several large cars approach the cathedral. He suspects someone important is here.
  • It's the Russian exile, Trotsky, down from Mexico City.
  • Augie tries to follow.
  • One of the bodyguards is his old friend Sylvester.
  • They don't have long to chat.
  • Frazer, apparently, is one of Trosky's secretaries.
  • Sylvester continues on with the group.
  • Oliver and Stella move into the villa once the Japanese residents leave.
  • The party planning begins.
  • A Treasury agent comes to town. Could be trouble for someone.
  • Stella is fearful. She wants to talk to Augie, but Oliver keeps too close an eye on her.
  • Oliver loses control at a poker game and assaults Louie Fu. Louie.
  • When the police approach Augie takes Stella by the hand and keeps her from being arrested as well.
  • Still, they're not yet able to talk privately.
  • Thea questions him later about the event. Augie gives a version and presents Stella as very much in love with Oliver.
  • She doesn't believe him.
  • Thea asks Augie to come with her to Chilpanzingo. He agrees.