Big Swiss Chapter 19: Donkeys and a Devastating Phone Call
⚠️ 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 with Greta and Sabine receiving two miniature donkeys—the jack Ellington and the jennet Pantaloon—from a farrier named Dave. The donkeys are smaller than expected but immediately endearing. Sabine reveals she bought them to mend a broken heart, and the three share daiquiris after discovering that the granola Sabine made for breakfast was accidentally baked on pans used for cannabis edibles. While Greta feels half-baked, Sabine becomes uninhibited and chatty with Dave.
Greta steps outside alone with the donkeys. Her phone rings repeatedly from an unknown number. She answers and hears Big Swiss, who is sobbing and speaking from the hospital. Big Swiss explains that her husband Luke was stabbed seven times by Keith after confronting him at Cousin’s bar. She reveals she had told Luke about her affair with Greta and that Luke went to intimidate Keith but was overpowered. Keith taunted Luke about the affair, then stabbed him when Luke loosened his grip. Luke is now in the ICU with a punctured lung and severed spleen, requiring eighty-two stitches.
Big Swiss bitterly notes that Greta never told her about her own confrontation with Keith the previous week. She accuses Greta of lacking the will to live, of drifting through life without fighting for anything, and says she doubts Greta would even have fought back if attacked. Greta defends herself weakly, but the conversation ends with Big Swiss stating that perhaps they can see each other again when Greta starts fighting for her own life. The chapter closes with Greta holding the phone near the donkey’s mouth so Big Swiss can hear their chewing.
Key Events
- The miniature donkeys Ellington and Pantaloon arrive, and Greta and Sabine bond with them.
- Sabine and Greta accidentally ingest cannabis from granola cooked on edibles-contaminated pans.
- Greta receives a phone call from Big Swiss, who reveals that Luke has been stabbed seven times by Keith.
- Big Swiss recounts the confrontation: Luke went to intimidate Keith but was overpowered and stabbed repeatedly.
- Big Swiss admits she told Luke about the affair and that Luke “already knew” about Greta.
- Big Swiss criticizes Greta for giving up too easily and lacking the will to live.
- Greta tries to comfort Big Swiss by letting her hear the donkeys chewing.
- The chapter ends with Big Swiss suggesting they can reunite only if Greta starts fighting for her life.
Character Development
- Greta: Her passivity and suicidal tendencies are exposed and challenged by Big Swiss. She admits she has never really fought for anything and that her relationship with Big Swiss felt like “living” even if she doesn't fight for her own survival.
- Big Swiss: Revealed as vulnerable, angry, and capable of deep grief. Her decision to end the affair shows both strength and heartbreak; she holds Greta accountable for her emotional detachment.
- Sabine: Eccentric and open, she seeks healing through the donkeys. Her uninhibited behavior after the accidental edibles provides comic relief and contrasts with the violent news.
- Dave the farrier: A grounded, compassionate character who cares for the donkeys’ welfare and shares his own experience of divorce. He becomes a potential new connection for Sabine.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
- Will to live vs. passivity: Big Swiss accuses Greta of lacking the will to live, framing it as a moral failing. The chapter contrasts Greta’s drift with Luke’s fight for survival and Big Swiss’s determination.
- Miniature donkeys as therapy: The donkeys are a literal healing presence; Sabine got them to mend a broken heart, and Greta finds their chewing soothing. They symbolize patience, grounding, and the possibility of repair.
- Violence and its ripple effects: Keith’s stabbing of Luke connects the earlier threat of violence to a devastating outcome. The chapter shows how one act of violence can alter multiple lives.
- Communication breakdown: Greta’s failure to tell Big Swiss about her own confrontation with Keith worsens the trust between them. The phone call is a delayed, painful reckoning.
- Accidental edibles (humor vs. tragedy): The comic subplot of Sabine and Greta being high juxtaposes the grim hospital news, highlighting the jarring tonal shifts in the characters’ lives.
- Donkey ASMR: Greta’s idea of recording the donkeys’ chewing suggests a search for small pleasures and a way to connect virtually when physical connection is lost.
Why This Chapter Matters
This chapter is a turning point in the novel. The affair between Greta and Big Swiss ends definitively, not from lack of desire but from a fundamental incompatibility in how they approach life. Keith’s brutal attack on Luke escalates the novel’s violence from threat to reality, forcing Greta to confront her own passivity and moral responsibility. The donkeys, a seemingly whimsical addition, become a symbol of the grounded, present-centered life that Greta has been avoiding. Big Swiss’s final words—that they can see each other again when Greta starts fighting for her life—set up Greta’s potential character arc for the remainder of the book.
Study Questions and Answers
1. What does Big Swiss mean when she says Greta lacks “the will to live,” and how does this accusation challenge Greta’s self-image?
Big Swiss contrasts Greta with Luke, who possesses a strong will to survive and fought during the stabbing. She sees Greta as someone who drifts, gives up easily, and doesn’t fight for anything, including her own life. This accusation forces Greta to recognize her own passivity and suicidal tendencies, which she had previously disguised as “going with the flow.” It also highlights the power imbalance in their relationship: Big Swiss valued Greta’s spontaneity but now sees it as a liability.
2. How do the miniature donkeys function symbolically in this chapter?
The donkeys represent grounding, presence, and healing. They munch grass and chew thoughtfully, processing their feelings through rumination—a contrast to Greta’s emotional avoidance. Sabine bought them to mend a broken heart, and Greta uses their chewing sounds to comfort Big Swiss over the phone. The donkeys’ cross-shaped markings evoke carries one’s burdens, aligning with the chapter’s theme of carrying trauma.
3. Why does Greta fail to tell Big Swiss about her own confrontation with Keith? What does this reveal about her character?
Greta admits she “overheard” a story about a knife being pulled but didn’t realize it involved Luke or big Swiss. Her failure to mention her own run-in at Cousin’s suggests she compartmentalizes dangerous events and avoids confrontation. It reveals her tendency to minimize threats and keep secrets to preserve the affair’s bubble, which ultimately contributes to the breakdown of trust when Big Swiss discovers the omission.