The Human Stain

Nathan drives by Coleman’s place to check on him, as Coleman hasn’t been answering his phone and has disconnected his answering machine. Nathan doesn’t go inside the house because with the lights on and music playing, he thinks Coleman is inside with Faunia. He also thinks Lester is watching the house, too: “I am not alone in listening to the music from the road” (204).

Nathan sees Coleman alive for the final time on a Saturday in August. He drives to Tanglewood to hear an open rehearsal of the orchestra’s next day concert. Nathan sees Coleman and Faunia at the concert and approaches them. He says that he misses Coleman, and then Nathan offers to take Coleman and Faunia to dinner some time. Coleman agrees, but Nathan thinks he is lying. As Coleman and Faunia walk away, Nathan imagines that Coleman has told Faunia his secret about passing.

Lester spends time with a support group led by fellow Vietnam veteran Louie Borrero. Louie takes all of the veterans in his support group to a Chinese restaurant, so they can adjust to being around people who look similar to the soldiers they were trying to kill in Vietnam. Lester goes back to the restaurant with this group four times before he can sit through the entire meal, eat, and interact with the waiter.