Neville recalls a New York City man he knew during World War II who nursed an obsessive hatred of President Roosevelt, resenting him for promoting his son Elliott to general over more deserving men. The man's daily ritual was to stand at the mirror while shaving and "tell Roosevelt off" for five minutes, a habit he refused to give up, joking that no two-hour Broadway play could entertain him as much. Neville uses him as an example of someone who would rather keep his hatred than see the person he resents as lovely.