Chapter 115: Cherry's Grief and the Just-World Fallacy
⚠️ 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
Cherry narrates her experience of grief after Ned’s sudden heart attack. She describes the funeral in Sydney, attended by former students who praised Ned’s impact. She recalls calling her ex-husband David, who explained the unpredictability of cardiac deaths. Cherry reflects on the physical pain of grief, attempted distractions like baths and massages, and the difficulty of daily tasks. She sold their home, cleaned out belongings (including her first wedding dress), and impulsively bought a house in Battery Point. She struggled to cancel Ned’s gym membership over the phone; in frustration, she drove to the gym with his ashes in a Styrofoam box and slammed it on the counter. The staff, who knew and loved Ned, cried. Later at a grocery store, she bought pistachios only for Ned, then left without buying anything after being reminded of Jill and Bert. She ends the chapter preparing to fly to Sydney to scatter Ned’s ashes.
Key Events
- Cherry calls her ex-husband David on the day Ned dies, seeking medical insight.
- The funeral for Ned is large; a former student flies from the UK to attend.
- Cherry learns of Jill and Bert’s funeral the day after Ned’s, which she does not attend.
- She sells her house, donates Ned’s clothes, and buys a new home sight unseen.
- Cherry tries and fails to cancel Ned’s gym membership by phone; she eventually brings his ashes to the gym in a Styrofoam box.
- At the grocery store, she impulsively buys pistachios (Ned’s favourite) and then abandons her cart after remembering Jill and Bert.
- She resolves to scatter Ned’s ashes at a lookout chosen by his brother Tony.
Character Development
Cherry is portrayed as brittle, angry, and overwhelmed by grief. She acknowledges that her previous losses (Jack) did not prepare her for this pain. Her decision to bring Ned’s ashes to the gym shows her breaking point—a mix of dark humour and raw desperation. She also reflects on the “just-world fallacy,” recognizing that she sometimes feels the tragedies are unfair even though she knows the world is not fair. This chapter reveals Cherry’s vulnerability and her struggle to find meaning in random loss.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
- Just-World Fallacy: Cherry explicitly discusses this concept, noting that people believe good behaviour is rewarded and bad punished, which makes suffering seem undeserved. She rejects that idea, calling the losses “grossly unfair” and without reason.
- Grief as Physical Pain: Cherry describes feeling “squeezed to death” in a “medieval torture device,” emphasizing the corporeal nature of mourning.
- Absurd Bureaucracy: The gym’s refusal to cancel a membership without the member present symbolizes the impersonal, absurd systems that ignore death. Cherry’s response—bringing the ashes—highlights the clash between institutional procedure and human tragedy.
- Memory and Objects: Pistachios and Monte Carlo biscuits trigger painful memories of Ned and Jill and Bert, showing how everyday items become vessels for loss.
- Routine as Anchor: Cherry continues to clean her teeth “each time my world crashes,” using a mundane ritual to maintain stability.
Why This Chapter Matters
This chapter completes Cherry’s arc as a character who initially seemed composed and resilient. It shows that even someone who has lost a spouse before cannot “project-manage” grief. Her confrontation with the gym staff is both tragic and darkly comic, illustrating the absurdity of navigating practical matters while in profound pain. The chapter also ties together the novel’s theme of random tragedy: Ned, Jill, and Bert all die without warning, reinforcing that the world does not offer fairness or explanations. Cherry’s raw narration deepens the reader’s empathy and forces a reckoning with how we cope with senseless loss.
Study Questions and Answers
1. Why does Cherry bring Ned’s ashes to the gym?
She had been unable to cancel Ned’s gym membership by phone because the call centre insisted the member come in person. After weeks of frustration, she drove to the local branch with the Styrofoam box containing his ashes and slammed it on the counter, demanding cancellation. The local staff, who knew Ned, were shocked and heartbroken, but the membership was finally cancelled.
2. What does Cherry mean by the “just-world fallacy,” and why does she mention it?
Cherry explains that people are socialised to believe the world is fair, where good behaviour is rewarded and bad punished. She mentions it because she catches herself thinking the deaths of Ned, Jill, and Bert are “grossly unfair,” even though she knows intellectually that the world is not just. The fallacy allows her to critique the common tendency to find reasons for tragedy when none exist.
3. How does the author use objects like pistachios and Monte Carlo biscuits to convey Cherry’s grief?
These objects are associated with specific memories: pistachios were Ned’s favourite snack, and Monte Carlo biscuits remind Cherry of the day Bert joked about dying young. When she encounters them in the grocery store, the memories flood back, causing her to abandon her shopping. The objects become symbols of absence, showing how everyday items can trigger intense grief and highlighting the gap between past joy and present loss.