As the novel reaches its conclusion, the thematic threads in the stories begin to intertwine. Marcel discussed the theme of "departure" as a means by which many of the men feel they can find some meaning and connection in their lives. By contrast, the women are not as free to depart the small rural town of Winesburg on their own as the stories take place in the late 1890s or early 1900s. In contrast to the men,, we noted numerous stories wherein the female characters remove their clothes not as a sexual gesture but as a symbolic though temporary shedding of their empty estranged lives . Earlier stories or chapters in the novel explore the theme of commitment and marriage. Marcel completed an outstanding homework assignment on the famed story,"The Untold Lie" which wraps up this theme of obligation interfering with a person's aspirations or dreams . We discussed the tradeoffs people have to make in order to achieve the connection or intimacy all of the characters in the novel long for but which seem to always elude them. For homework, I assigned completing the novel by reading the last two chapters.