- (Note: Part 4 addresses what is happening to Minnie while the events of Parts 1 and 3 occur.)
- Minnie isn't doing so well this Saturday night as she dresses for the evening meal.
- Her hands are shaking as she tries to deal with fastening her dress and combing her hair.
- She puts on "her sheerest underthings and stockings and new voile dress" (4.1).
- Her friends come in and ask her if she's up to leaving.
- Minnie's friends' eyes have "a dark glitter" (4.1). They tell her that when she has recovered from "the shock" they want full details (4.1).
- Minnie calms down as they walk through the dust, darkness, and heat, toward town.
- When the town square becomes visible she starts shaking again.
- In the square she seems vulnerable in her pink dress.
- She's shaking even more, walking more and more slowly.
- People are talking audibly about her.
- Someone asks someone else what happened to Will. Another person replies that Will is OK, that "He went on a little trip" (4.3).
- All the men, even the young ones, take their hats off to the women, and watch Minnie's hips as she walks past them.
- Her friends ask her to notice that there aren't any black people out.
- They get to the movies.
- Minnie is excited. When the movie starts things will be better. She wouldn't start laughing right away, but save it.
- Minnie and her friends sit where they always sit, positioned to watch the young couples walking into the theatre.
- She starts laughing.
- People begin to stare and her friends take her out of the theater.
- Minnie continues laughing until the taxi comes.
- Back home her friends take off her clothes, get her in bed, and call for a doctor.
- They cool her with ice and fan her.
- At first the ice helps keep the laughter down, but soon Minnie is laughing and screaming at the same time.
- The friends tell her "Shhhhhhhhhhh!" (4.8).
- They check to see if there is any gray in her hair.
- One of them asks the other if she thinks "anything really happened?" (4.9).
- Their eyes glitter mysteriously.
- Part 4 ends with this quote: "Shhhhhhhhhhh! Poor girl! Poor Minnie!" (4.9).