The four chapters in Part V reconstruct Ilf and Petrov’s California adventures. By the time the writers arrived in San Francisco in early December, they were exhausted and homesick. However, because they had work to do, Ilf and Petrov remained in California for nearly a month. In the Golden State, the writers became active participants in American life as both Soviet cultural emissaries and minor Hollywood players. Part V examine how and to what degree their direct engagement with Americans transformed or reinforced everyone’s presuppositions.