Chapter 25: Sometimes There Is Beauty in Breaking – 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 chapter opens with Lawson describing how she draws when she cannot write and when she is in pain. She has drawn a shadow of herself, representing her current state of depression—past sadness into a numb, hollow place where she questions her own reality. Her face feels like a slipped mask. She considers drinking to numb the pain of being numb but dismisses it as unsustainable. She acknowledges that her drawing may make others uncomfortable, but it is easier to pretend to be fine.
Late at night, she takes her dog outside for a walk. The darkness feels like a cloak—usually a comforting idea, but tonight she fears being consumed by it. She hurries back inside.
While walking through the house, the dog chases the cat, who panics and knocks over a large stone dove that has sat on her table for years alongside a male companion. The dove shatters into pieces. Lawson discovers the dove is hollow inside, with a white excelsior filling in the pedestal. Her daughter calls down from upstairs, and Lawson reassures her it was nothing. She crawls on the floor gathering pieces, finding blood on her foot but unsure of its source. She grieves for the broken bird and the matched set that will no longer be complete.
Rather than discard the broken dove, Lawson decides to transform it into art. She photographs the pieces, noticing the alabaster interior and the strange beauty of the excelsior. The round pedestal reminds her of Styrofoam Easter eggs her mother used to fill. She sees beauty in the brokenness and keeps the dove on her counter, turned toward the window. She gives it new meaning as a talisman, acknowledging that it takes the right eyes to see its magic.
Returning to her drawing, she reflects that black is made of all colors, not an absence of them. She reassures herself that she will be herself again, but for now she is like the broken dove, reminding others of the visions that come with an unquiet mind.
A Note: The next morning, Victor sees the broken bird. When Lawson explains she cannot throw it away, he suggests kintsugi—the Japanese art of repairing broken ceramics with gold-dusted lacquer, making the breakage part of the object’s history. Lawson smiles but says she cannot find all the pieces. Victor shrugs and says they are still there and will be found eventually.
Key Events
- Lawson draws herself as a shadow, reflecting a deep depressive state.
- She walks her dog at night, feeling the darkness might consume her.
- The cat, chased by the dog, knocks over a stone dove that smashes on the floor.
- Lawson finds the dove is hollow with excelsior inside; she cannot locate all the broken pieces.
- She decides to keep the broken dove and photograph it as art.
- The next morning, Victor suggests repairing it with the Japanese art of kintsugi.
- Lawson finishes her drawing, finding a parallel between herself and the broken dove.
Character Development
Jenny Lawson: Lawson’s mental state is vividly portrayed—she is in a numb, hollow phase of depression, yet she continues to create art and find meaning. The chapter shows her resilience as she actively chooses to reframe the broken dove as something beautiful rather than trash. Her willingness to accept her own brokenness as part of her story mirrors the kintsugi philosophy.
Victor (Lawson’s husband): Though appearing only briefly, Victor offers a concrete, practical solution (kintsugi) that reframes the accident as an opportunity for repair and beauty. His calm presence and belief that the missing pieces will be found reinforce the theme of hope.
Hailey (Lawson’s daughter): Her off-page question from upstairs shows the family’s awareness of their mother’s struggles, yet Lawson protects them by downplaying the incident.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
Brokenness and Beauty: The central theme is that brokenness can be transformed into something beautiful if viewed with the right perspective. The stone dove shatters, but rather than discard it, Lawson sees its hidden interior and decides to honor its history.
Depression as Shadow: Lawson describes herself as a shadow and a hollow shell. The darkness outside serves as a cloak, but tonight it threatens to erase her. The motif of invisibility versus visibility runs throughout.
Kintsugi: Victor’s suggestion of kintsugi becomes a powerful metaphor for healing. The repaired object gains value from its scars, just as people can integrate their painful experiences into their identity without hiding them.
The Broken Dove as Talisman: The dove is hollow like Lawson feels, yet when filled with meaning and symbolism, it becomes a source of strength. It represents the possibility of transformation through art and acceptance.
Why This Chapter Matters
Chapter 25 is a keystone in Broken because it takes a concrete, mundane accident—a cat knocking over a figurine—and elevates it into an extended meditation on mental illness, creativity, and healing. Lawson’s decision to keep the broken dove and Victor’s introduction of kintsugi encapsulate the book’s core message: that pain and fracture do not have to be hidden or discarded, but can become part of a richer, more meaningful whole. The chapter also demonstrates how Lawson’s art (drawing, photography, writing) serves as a lifeline during depressive episodes.
Study Questions and Answers
1. How does Lawson use the image of the dove to mirror her own experience of depression?
Lawson explicitly states she feels hollow and shattered, like the dove after it breaks. The dove’s brokenness reveals its hidden interior—the excelsior and alabaster—which she finds beautiful. Similarly, she hopes her own brokenness can be reframed as meaningful, though she struggles to see it while still in the depressive state.
2. What does Victor’s suggestion of kintsugi add to the chapter’s message about repair?
Victor’s idea introduces a cultural practice that treats breakage as part of an object’s history, not a flaw to hide. This mirrors the book’s overall theme of accepting mental health struggles as part of one’s story. His insistence that the missing pieces will be found offers a note of practical hope, countering Lawson’s despair.
3. Why does Lawson say that black is made of all colors, and how does this relate to her drawing?
She explains that black is not an absence of color but a combination of all colors—a scientific fact she applies metaphorically to her own shadow-self. Just as black contains every hue, her depressive state contains the potential for all emotional experiences. This reframes her darkness as complex and whole rather than empty.