32 pages • 1 hour read
James M. CainThe Postman Always Rings Twice
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1934A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Chapters 1-3Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Chapter 1 Summary
Chapter 1 begins with Frank Chambers—a drifter and the protagonist of the novel—being thrown off a hay truck near Glendale, California. While wandering down the road, Frank finds a diner called the Twin Oaks Tavern, which he describes as “a roadside sandwich joint, like a million others in California” (3). He walks into the diner and meets Nick “the Greek” Papadakis. Frank cons Nick into giving him a free breakfast by lying about meeting someone who is going to pay his bill. Nick offers Frank a job in the diner. At first, Frank is not sure that he wants the job, but he decides to take it when he sees Nick’s wife, Cora. He points out, “From the filling station I could just get a good view of the kitchen [where she was]” (5).
Chapter 2 Summary
Frank goes into the kitchen on an errand to help an angry customer. While there, he has his first conversation with Cora. Frank sizes her up, and she admits that she dislikes her husband. He observes, “It was being married to that Greek that made her feel she wasn’t white, and she was even afraid I would begin calling her Mrs. Papadakis” (6). Later that night, Frank eats dinner with Nick and Cora, and the couple argues in front of him. After drinking Greek wine, Frank vomits, realizing “I wanted that woman so bad I couldn’t even keep anything on my stomach” (8).
The next morning, the wind blows down the diner’s sign. Frank convinces Nick that he needs to get a new sign, one that is much fancier and more intricate. In order to have a nicer sign made, Nick has to go to the city. Once Nick leaves, Frank locks the door to the diner. At first, Cora is uncomfortable with the fact that Frank locked the door. However, she soon checks the door and says, “I forgot to unlock it” (10). Given this opening, Frank grabs Cora, bites her lips until they bleed, and then takes her upstairs to have sex with her.
Chapter 3 Summary
When Nick returns, Cora lies about the wounds on her lips, telling him that a swinging door hit her in the face and cut her lips. Nick gets angry at Frank because he believes that this was Frank’s fault. He is also afraid that Frank will want to take credit for his new sign. Three days later, when the sign is finally finished and hung up, Frank and Nick “[are] friends again” (11). The next day, Frank catches Cora alone and “swung my fist up against her leg so hard it nearly knocked her over” (11). When she responds aggressively, his desire for her is reignited.
Several days later, Nick leaves to investigate a competitor, and Frank and Cora immediately run to each other and spend an hour together “just lay[ing] on the bed” (11). Not long after this, Nick sends Frank and Cora to the market for him. On their way back from the market, they continue their affair in the car. Frank notes, “We did plenty” (12). While in the car, Cora tells Frank about her past. She claims that she was a nobody and that Nick was kind to her, but now she finds him disgusting and wants to get away from him. Frank suggests that they leave town together, but Cora argues that being on the run will just lead her back to the life she had before she met Nick.
When Frank and Cora declare their love for each other, Cora insists that killing Nick is the only way that they can be together. Frank is reluctant to do this, but Cora convinces him to agree to it because it will allow them to be together.
Chapters 1-3 Analysis
This first section of the book introduces the three main characters—Frank, Cora, and Nick. Cain also uses these chapters to reveal Frank’s perception of himself and how his actions impact his life. For instance, when he is thrown off a hay truck, Frank says, “I tried some comical stuff, but all I got was a dead pan, so that gag was out” (3). Moreover, once he reaches the Twin Oaks Tavern, Frank immediately invents a story about a guy in a Cadillac: “He was to pick me up here, I said, and we were to have lunch” (3). Frank lies and manipulates people to get what he wants, but he believes that he just does whatever he needs to in order to get by. For instance, he decides he will pursue Cora the moment he sees her, and he manipulates Nick into leaving them alone together. Though he gives off the impression that he is always in control of his environment, he eventually blames Cora for Nick’s murder. This forces the reader to question the accuracy of his narrative.
Related Titles
By James M. Cain
