Christine

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of bullying, gender discrimination, cursing, substance use, illness, and death.

Chapter 20 and all the other chapters in Part 2 assume the voice of a third-person omniscient narrator. On November 1, 1978, Arnie pays the fees for the car and gets a Pennsylvania license plate: Christine is “street legal.”

Regina yells at Arnie and Michael. She doesn’t want Arnie to spend his college money on a car or keep it at their house. Arnie explains that he’s frugal with repairs and that, by working for Darnell, he’ll earn back the money. Regina remains livid, and after Arnie accuses her of “liberal bullshit,” she slaps him.

Riding with Arnie to the airport, Michael tries to act as a peacekeeper, alluding to Regina’s menopause and Arnie’s new personality traits. They listen to WDIL, an “oldies” AM radio station, and Arnie discusses classic cars. Michael notices that Christine’s odometer runs backward.

When Michael offers to pay for Arnie to keep his car at the airport parking lot, Arnie becomes mad, not wanting to take a 20-mile bus ride just to get his car. Michael eventually convinces him to keep it at the airport.