Chapter 7: Friday, 25th January 1991 – Confrontation and Memory

⚠️ 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 chapter opens on the night after John's death. Harold leaves his tent to visit Naoko, but guard Parker warns him not to stray from camp. Inside Naoko's tent, Harold finds her carving a netsuke – a tiny turtle. The sight triggers a long flashback to their life together in London.

In the memory, Naoko explains her ritual: she endlessly carves the same turtle as a way of preserving her connection to her mother, who drowned while scuba diving. She believes new beginnings always contain the old, and that ritual grounds her in her heritage. Harold then recalls their adopted son Santi, a nine-year-old selective mute from Chile. Harold took Santi to art galleries, especially impressionist and modern art. They bonded over a tesseract painting, which Harold used to explain unseen dimensions and how symbols (like netsuke) represent intangible truths. At a Giacometti exhibition, Santi intuited the loneliness in the spindly sculptures and told Harold he was glad they had each other. Later, Santi and Harold carved a netsuke for Naoko, saying it would help her remember him.

Back in the present, Naoko reacts with hostility when Harold touches her shoulder. She accuses him of working with “them” and of only showing up now after abandoning her years ago. Harold stammers an apology, but Naoko dismisses it and returns to her carving. Humiliated, Harold resolves to stop letting sentiment cloud his judgment. He decides to pursue the mountain’s scientific mysteries – the time slippage, the RNA, the men on the ice – and will return to Naoko’s tent, but now as a scientist, not an ex-husband.

Key Events

Harold leaves his tent at night and is stopped by guard Parker, who warns him not to stay out long.
Harold enters Naoko’s tent and finds her carving a turtle netsuke.
A flashback details Naoko’s ritual carving and her explanation of why she repeats the same act: it preserves her mother’s memory and her cultural identity.
The flashback expands to include Santi’s adoption and his love of art, especially impressionism and Giacometti.
Harold and Santi attend a Giacometti exhibition; Santi recognizes the loneliness in the sculptures and reassures Harold.
Harold and Santi carve a netsuke for Naoko; she weeps with joy.
In the present, Naoko angrily rebuffs Harold’s attempt at reconciliation, accusing him of abandonment and of being part of some conspiracy.
Harold leaves, humiliated, but vows to investigate the mountain’s mysteries rationally.

Character Development

Harold: This chapter deepens his emotional vulnerability. He arrives at Naoko’s tent hoping for a reunion, but her rejection forces him to confront his guilt about leaving her. His flashbacks reveal a tender, devoted father and husband, contrasting with the man who later walked away. By the end, he hardens his resolve, suppressing his feelings to focus on science – a defensive retreat into logic.

Naoko: Previously a distant figure, she now becomes a complex character scarred by loss. Her ritual carving is not a hobby but a lifeline to her drowned mother and to her Japanese heritage. Her anger at Harold is justified: she waited years for him to return. Her accusation that he is “working with them” hints that she knows more about the expedition’s hidden agenda than she lets on.

Santi (in flashback): Though not present in the main timeline, Santi’s backstory is essential. A selective mute from Chile, he finds solace in art and connection through non-verbal cues. His gift to Naoko shows his emotional intelligence and his need to be remembered. The chapter positions Santi as the emotional glue that held the family together.

Parker: The guard appears briefly but enforces the camp’s surveillance. His warning to Harold and his refusal to smile suggests tension beneath the surface.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Ritual vs. Novelty: Naoko’s carving embodies the Japanese concept of shokunin – mastery through repetition. She contrasts this with Western obsession with innovation. The netsuke is a seed of memory, carrying the past forward. Harold initially sees this as unhealthy, but the chapter shows its power.

Memory and Identity: The flashbacks are triggered by the sight of the carving. Harold’s identity as a scientist clashes with his buried past. Naoko insists that you cannot start fresh; the past is bundled into every new beginning.

Loneliness and Connection: Giacometti’s elongated sculptures symbolise isolation. Santi, himself isolated by mutism, recognises this loneliness. His act of carving a netsuke for Naoko solidifies their bond. The chapter contrasts the loneliness of the mountain with the fleeting warmth of family memory.

The Tesseract as Symbol: Harold explains to Santi that a two-dimensional drawing of a tesseract represents something invisible yet real, like love or God. This mirrors the function of the netsuke: a tangible symbol for an intangible emotional truth.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter is the emotional heart of the novel’s first third. It supplies the crucial backstory of Harold’s relationship with Naoko and Santi, explaining his guilt and his obsessive drive. Naoko’s rejection shatters his sentimental expectations, forcing him to choose between feeling and reason. Her cryptic accusation that he might be “working with them” casts doubt on the expedition’s leadership. The chapter also introduces the concept of ritual as a form of resistance against erasure, which will likely resonate as the mountain warps time and memory. Finally, Harold’s vow to pursue the mountain’s mysteries sets the stage for the scientific investigations to come.

Study Questions and Answers

1. Why does Naoko carve the same turtle over and over? What does this reveal about her character?
She carves the turtle as a ritual to remember her mother, who drowned while scuba diving. The act connects her to her heritage and her past; she believes that memory must be actively maintained through repetition. This reveals her need for continuity and her resistance to Western notions of “moving on.”

2. How does the Giacometti exhibition affect Santi, and what does it tell us about his relationship with Harold?
Santi instinctively recognises the loneliness in Giacometti’s elongated figures. He tells Harold that he feels lonely too, but that having Harold makes it bearable. This moment shows the deep, non-verbal trust between them and establishes Santi as emotionally perceptive.

3. At the end of the chapter, Harold decides to approach Naoko again “as a scientist.” What does this decision suggest about his character arc?
It suggests Harold is retreating from emotional vulnerability, using scientific detachment as a shield. This self-deception will likely complicate his interactions with Naoko and the mountain’s mysteries, as he tries to suppress the very feelings that give him insight.