Chapter 7 Summerizer - Tony Baregi

Summerizer Chapter 7.
In this chapter titled Self, Vincent decides to take her final step towards completing her study as Ned. She decides to join a male support group. She finds that this would be her hardest challenge yet, because of the fact that the group is composed of all men and more importantly going to be discussing deep problems that men have. As the group meetings begin Norah feels that some of the group practices are superficial. She talks about how hugs were a part of the therapy but she doesn’t want to be forced to hug someone, it has to be a real genuine situation to give or receive a hug to Vincent. Also Norah says she dislikes the “program” of group. She describes herself as someone who is not part of a program, but as someone who continues to be outside of the box.
Later in the chapter the group of thirty-three men and one woman go on a two day retreat. She again says this will be an extremely hard challenge because she will be living in the same quarters as the other men. She decides that she will not shower and will not take of her beard at anytime and also undress in her sleeping bag, just to put the same clothes on the next day. If Ned got mud on him all the better to add to Vincent’s disguise. The retreat then begins with a symbolic game that was a custom in a Native American tribe. The game was called smugging that first brought the men close to each other, and once feeling comfortable would step out of the circle and become “purified” in the smoke of the incense. Ned found that the game was a little bit childish; however she saw the meaning behind the game.
Vincent reiterated that it was almost impossible to keep up her act as Ned in this setting. She said, “It takes constant effort, and vigilance.” (269) She was constantly afraid of the slightest false step, that someone would find out her true identity. It was starting to become a major burden that would in her words inevitably implode her character of Ned.