In this chapter, we are introduced to a number of characters who are introduced for the first time in the novel. The first person introduced is the narrator's mother, who tells the story of her son, who is a student at the university. The narrator is crying because he has not been able to attend the university's summer vacation. He tells his mother that he is passing on the instructions of his father, the senator, who has forbidden him to work as a private tutor. He asks his mother what his schedule for the next day is, and she tells him that it is illegal for universities to allow professors to teach as private tutors. The father, however, says that he expects perfection in everything his son does, and that he will be keeping an eye on him