The Heart is a Lonely Hunter: Part 2, Chapter 8 Summary & Analysis

As the weeks go by, Biff Brannon continues to watch Singer intently during the three meals a day Singer eats at his café. Brannon has many questions and concerns about the world around him. He is nervous about the rise of Hitler in Europe and the rumors of coming war. He is puzzled by Singer’s abrupt and mysterious comings and goings from town by train. He is also in mourning for his wife, Alice, and has even taken to splashing her perfume on his neck and using her shampoo to comfort himself.

Even as the café steadily begins losing money, Brannon’s regular patrons continue coming by each day. Blount visits each afternoon to drink. Brannon offers Blount a job at the café, but Blount refuses to work behind a “cash box.” Brannon finds himself puzzled and often frightened by Blount, but can’t resist the urge to try to help him. When he tries to talk to Blount about the man’s life, past, and feelings, however, Blount skirts his questions. The only person Blount ever truly opens up to is John Singer.

One Sunday, Lucile and Baby come to the café for lunch. Baby still has a bandage on her head, and she  is not her usual sweet self—she is combative and droll. Biff tries to soothe Baby by bribing her with candy and ice cream. As Lucile watches the two interact, she quips that Biff would make a “good mother.” Baby says she wants to go to the kitchen and visit Willie. Lucile reminds Baby that Willie is in the penitentiary, and that a new young man works in the kitchen now. Baby goes back to the kitchen anyway.

Biff serves Lucile and then returns to the register, where he watches his patrons eat. He contemplates the banality of life, so much of which is focused on eating. Soon, Singer and Blount enter. As Biff watches them eat, pay, and leave, he is reminded of Antonapoulos, and grows curious about the nature of the relationship the two men once had before Antonapoulos went away.

As the afternoon drags on and Biff watches several families come into the café to enjoy their lunches together, he grows lonely and tired. Eventually, he asks a waitress to watch the café so that he can go on a walk. As he heads down the street, he feels a sense of shame—lately, he has been taking walks through Mick’s neighborhood, hoping to run into her. Though he knows what he’s doing is “not quite right,” he can’t stop himself. Biff’s obsession with Mick has intensified lately, and he wishes he could “give to her.” Though he’s done nothing wrong or untoward, he feels a guilt deep within him.

Biff does not run into Mick on his walk, and soon returns to the café to find it empty. As the afternoon turns to evening, business slowly picks up, and the new part-time worker Biff has recently hired—Harry Minowitz—arrives for his shift. As Biff talks to Harry about his life at home and at school, he feels embarrassed for asking so many questions about Harry’s schedule and habits.

Biff leaves Harry at the register and goes downstairs to his office. He sits in his rocking chair and strums a sad song on a little mandolin he keeps down there. He dreams of adopting a boy and a girl—sweet, round-cheeked children who will look like Mick and Baby. Biff begins looking back on unpleasant and embarrassing moments throughout his marriage to Alice, and soon starts contemplating death. At the depth of his sorrow, Biff hears the voices of his customers laughing and talking upstairs. Renewed and uplifted by the idea that later on, Mick might come by for a drink or a sundae, Biff heads upstairs—the hours pass by, and Mick does not come.