Woman on the Edge of Time ( 1976)
Marge Piercy

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Woman on the Edge of Time--Plot Summary by chapters


1) Dolly's search for rescue and Connie's fighting against Geraldo; (memory of her past experience with the other men: "Geraldo was her father, . . . Her second husband. . .El Muro . . . )--> Connie in Bellevue --> sent to Rockover State ("She was drowning. . . She was human garbage carried to the dump" p. 32);
2) Connie's dream of Luciente --> working for Mrs. Polcari (welfare work program) -->Exhausted by work, she dreams of L --> Dolly asking for her -->  meeting L on the street; --> Connie's past --> Connie lonely at home --> meeting L again, talking about food, garbage and "intersee"
3) locked in the seclusion cell; meets Luciente after 3 weeks;
4) Spring, interviewed by Dr. Redding, moved to G 2
5) Connie with an illusion of freedom in G 2, a bit reluctant to receive Luciente. Still she goes with L to her world, getting to know the brooder, only to think of her own daughter and get dissociated.

6) present ("privileges and disorder in G 2) --> M: naming ceremony; Jackrabbit's madness understood;
 7) M:work and study explained ; motherhood redefined;  Connie willing to give Angie to them.
8) present --> 147 M government; death; 
9) present --> 170 M holidays and pleasures and art;  --> Dolly does not come
10) turning point: Alice getting an electrode implanted in her brain--> explanation of their views of coffee, how their world is only one of the possible worlds (197); the 30-year war; --> exhibition of Alice --> M's worming and ways of 'healing' (e.g. the conflicts among Jackrabbit, Bolivar and Luciente)
11) Acker's persuading Connie; Dolly's visit (gets a bit of money from Dolly) ; Sybil's change --> Luciente tries to help her control her nerves --> Connie tries to escape;
12) Connie in escape, joined by Luciente and Dawn, finally returned to the hospital;
13) effects of electrode on Alice and on Skip --> Luciente tries to comfort Connie --> the holi --> debate over the role of artists in defense --> Skip
14) drifter Maclaw 273 and his interest in tribal knowledge; Luciente as a scientist proposing her reck; Connie about to get her brain surgery --the night before;
15) Gildina (Rapture, flacks, HG and sense-all)
16) Jackrabbit's death 309
17) Hard to get Luciente; Luciente putting her kenner back to foco; Connie encouraged by Bee to fight; Connie imagines fighting with Bee and Hawk on a floater --> remembers Martin's fight and being murdered--> The doctors get worried about Connie's loss of consciousness, so they remove the dialytrode.
18) Captain Cream and Tina get their surgery; Connie communicates with Sybil about Sybil's most meaningful talk with a college student about witchcraft. Connie asks Luis to let her visit him
19) Luciente winter games; Connie at war
20) Official history of Connie

Woman on the Edge of Time.  NY: Fawcett Crest 1976.  22nd printing 1991.