Chapter 40 Summary and Analysis: Blood Like Mine
⚠️ 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
Rebecca, with her arm around Moonflower, follows Guthrie into his decaying house near Tucson International Airport. The interior is dim, lit only by low-wattage bulbs; Guthrie has taped newspaper over the windows and removed overhead light switches, leaving exposed wires. Moonflower, grateful for the rare treat of television, searches for the remote. Rebecca asks Guthrie for sanctuary. He initially refuses, pointing out that she is headline news and wanted for killing a federal agent. He suggests she flee to Mexico, where her “methodology” works easily among men who buy what they desire. Rebecca reveals that Moonflower is beginning to turn—the hunger is surfacing. Guthrie, who has seen the same in his own mother before she turned, explains that the hunger is a greedy, gluttonous entity that will take control if not fed. He provides four bags of frozen blood, preserved with polyvinyl alcohol to prevent cell lysis upon thawing, and instructs Rebecca to thaw them in cold water. He allows them to stay for one night only, despite her lack of money. Rebecca is resolute: she will not let her daughter go, even after fifteen years.
Key Events
- Rebecca and Moonflower arrive at Guthrie’s isolated compound.
- Guthrie rebukes Rebecca for cutting his chain and warns of the danger of harboring a fugitive.
- Rebecca admits that Moonflower is starting to turn, describing the change that occurred during the Flagstaff incident.
- Guthrie shares his knowledge of the hunger: it is a greedy force that ultimately destroys those it infects.
- He retrieves four frozen blood bags preserved with polyvinyl alcohol and begins thawing them.
- Rebecca pledges to find money for the blood and insists she will not give up on Moonflower.
- Guthrie sets a hard deadline: one night, then they must leave.
Character Development
Rebecca shows fierce maternal desperation. She struggles to suppress her rage when Guthrie suggests letting Moonflower go, and she physically restrains herself from striking him. Her resolve remains unshaken despite the odds. Guthrie is revealed as a reluctant ally with deep knowledge of the disease, having witnessed it in his own mother. He is pragmatic (demanding payment, setting strict boundaries) but ultimately provides help out of a sense of obligation. Moonflower remains mostly silent but is visibly impacted by the turning; her smile at the prospect of television underscores how rare normalcy has become.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
- Hunger as an entity: Guthrie personifies the hunger as a “greedy, gluttonous” thing that will seize control if starved. This elevates the condition from a simple craving to an almost parasitic force.
- Frozen blood and preservation: The use of polyvinyl alcohol to freeze blood without cell damage symbolizes Rebecca’s attempt to preserve Moonflower’s humanity through careful, scientifically informed methods.
- The dim house: Guthrie’s dark, newspaper-covered home reflects a life lived in hiding, mirroring the secrecy and isolation imposed by the disease.
- Motherly sacrifice: Rebecca’s willingness to break into Guthrie’s home, threaten him, and beg for help underscores the lengths she will go to protect her daughter.
Why This Chapter Matters
This chapter deepens the lore of the hunger disease. Guthrie’s explanation—that few survive more than a month after turning, and that the hunger is inherently greedy—raises the stakes for Rebecca and Moonflower. It also establishes Guthrie as a key resource with specialized knowledge and supplies. Rebecca’s refusal to let Moonflower go, even after fifteen years, reinforces the central emotional conflict: the line between love and codependence, and the cost of keeping a loved one alive.
Study Questions and Answers
1. Why does Guthrie initially refuse to help Rebecca, and what changes his mind?
Guthrie refuses because Rebecca is wanted for murdering a federal agent, making him an accessory. He changes his mind when she reveals that Moonflower is beginning to turn, a process he recognizes from his own mother’s experience.
2. What does Guthrie mean when he says the hunger is “greedy” and a “glutton”?
He means the hunger is not a passive thirst but an active, demanding entity that will grow stronger if not fed. Eventually it overwhelms the host, which is why few infected survive beyond a month after turning.
3. How does Rebecca’s reaction to Guthrie’s suggestion of “letting her go” reveal her character?
Rebecca nearly strikes Guthrie, stopping only through willpower. Her fury shows that she equates giving up Moonflower with betrayal. It underscores her absolute commitment to preserving her daughter’s life, even at great personal cost.