Hunter College

Hunter College enters the narrative through May Wynn’s return to education: she enrolls there in February, even as she continues to visit Willie Keith at Furnald Hall. Her studies establish an aim of her own, distinct from her relationship with Willie.

May Wynn’s Enrollment

In February, after visiting Willie often in the weeks that followed, May enrolls at Hunter College. The late classes make her visits less frequent, though she sometimes cuts class to see him. Willie is uneasy about her return to school, but May laughs at his concern rather than allowing it to deter her.

Education as an Independent Choice

May makes clear that her education is not a project undertaken to please Willie. She tells him, “I’m not doing this for you, but for me,” and explains that she has decided she would rather not remain ignorant all her life. Hunter College thus represents a choice she claims for herself: her visits to Willie continue, but they no longer define the direction of her life.