· Russ moves to college in Detroit and gets a job
· Russ Hansen loves his professor’s teachings (Profesor Diekman)
· Russ forgets who he is and where he is from
· Russ learns German to understand more of his professor
· Russ becomes desperate for human interaction
· Professor Diekman finally commends Russ for his work on his papers
· à Russ is invited to special dinners (think Slughorn) on Fridays at Professor Diekman’s home
o This group was all male and called the Diekman circle
· “I was tremendously excited by these sessions. The ordinary world seemed illuminated and transformed.”
o He makes everything seem good and grand and interesting
· Russ is driving and saw his old neighbor, Frank Walsh, walking aimlessly
o Frank clearly has some memory problems
o Russ helps him out (reluctant and disgusted but kind)
· “At Diekman's that night I mentioned the old man and the tragedy of old age and the apparent failure of community. There was a time, Diekman said, when old age was no tragedy”
· Diekman saw himself as their leader (abbot)
· Frank Walsh goes missing --> checked himself into a social worker place (?) called Eloise
o “An Eloise doctor said that Walsh would never be back. He walked when set in motion but the spirit had left the machine.”
· Russ decides that learning is inadequate from the real world
· Russ leaves the circle without saying anything