Chapter 90: Sad Olympics – Summary & Analysis
⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.
Summary
The speaker in "Sad Olympics" describes purchasing consumer objects — an air fryer, a pink diffuser, a small spider plant — as a way of coping with depression. The speaker acknowledges not wanting to remain heartbroken, yet sorrow follows everywhere, even banging on the piano. The poem closes with a cry for freedom coupled with a plea to avoid death, recognizing the limits of escapism.
Key Events
- Speaker Buys Coping Items – The speaker acquires an air fryer, a pink diffuser, and a junior spider plant, all material attempts to manage depression.
- Sorrow Personified – Sorrow is depicted as a presence that enters every room and bangs on the piano, implying it cannot be avoided.
- Desire for Liberty Without Death – The speaker requests freedom but stipulates "hold the death," showing a wish to live without the full weight of despair.
- Acknowledgment of Limits – The final line states there is only so much one can outrun, admitting that avoidance strategies have boundaries.
Character Development
- The Speaker – The speaker reveals vulnerability and a practical, consumer approach to emotional pain. There is no name or backstory beyond this moment, but the poem crystallises a universal human experience: the attempt to soothe inner turmoil with external purchases and the recognition that sorrow cannot be bought off. The speaker moves from action (buying) to resigned acceptance.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
- Depression and Consumer Coping – The air fryer, diffuser, and spider plant symbolise retail therapy — concrete items that promise comfort but ultimately fail to address the root of sorrow. They are modern, domestic objects suggesting a mundane battle with mental health.
- The Persistence of Sorrow – Sorrow is an invasive force that "walks into every room" and "bangs on the piano." The piano motif connects sorrow to noise, music, and intrusion, implying grief demands to be heard even when one tries to ignore it.
- Liberty vs. Death – The line "Give me liberty, but hold the death" contrasts the desire for freedom (from depression) with the refusal to embrace oblivion. It echoes the American Revolution phrase but subverts it, adding a personal, existential dimension.
- Limits of Escapism – The closing statement, "There is only so much you can outrun," serves as a thesis: avoidance has a ceiling. No amount of shopping or ignoring can permanently outpace emotional reality.
Why This Chapter Matters
"Sad Olympics" is a compact, resonant entry in And Yet because it captures a common but rarely articulated experience: the gap between how people cope and what they truly feel. Kate Baer uses simple, contemporary objects to critique the culture of self-care branding, showing that an air fryer or a plant cannot replace genuine healing. The poem also confronts the paradox of wanting to escape depression while still valuing life — a nuanced position that many readers may recognise. Its brevity amplifies its impact, making every word count.
Study Questions and Answers
1. What might the air fryer, diffuser, and spider plant symbolise in the context of the speaker’s depression?
These items represent common tools of "self-care" that are marketed as solutions for stress or unhappiness. The air fryer suggests a desire for healthier or easier cooking; the diffuser implies aromatherapy as mood management; the spider plant is a low-maintenance symbol of growth. Together, they show the speaker turning to consumer goods to fill an emotional void, a strategy that is ultimately insufficient.
2. How does the personification of sorrow function in the poem?
Sorrow is given agency: it walks, it bangs on the piano. By making sorrow an active, intrusive character, Baer conveys that depression does not wait for an invitation. The piano, often associated with emotion and art, becomes an instrument of sorrow’s expression. The personification emphasises that sorrow cannot be locked out or ignored; it demands attention.
3. What is the effect of the line "Give me liberty, but hold the death"?
This line reworks the famous Revolutionary demand "Give me liberty or give me death." Here, the speaker wants freedom from pain but refuses to accept death as the alternative. It reveals a desperate negotiation: the speaker still clings to life and hope, even while overwhelmed by sadness. The paradox highlights the complexity of depression — wanting relief without annihilation.