How to Sell a Haunted House Chapter 28: Summary and 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

Louise returns to the hospital and informs Mark that she has burned Pupkin, leaving nothing behind. Mark, who has lost his arm, is initially silent. They argue about blame: Mark accuses Louise of sawing off his arm; Louise defends her actions as life-saving. A surgical resident, Dr. Santos, explains that the arm could not be reattached and outlines post‑operative care. Mark refuses to speak to Louise for several days.

Louise dedicates herself to Mark's care at his condo, buying adaptive tools and trying to push him into physical therapy. He sinks into depression, refuses prosthesis fittings, and drinks while on pain medication. Their cousins Mercy and Constance visit; Louise lies about the accident. Louise eventually decides to stop selling the house immediately, planning to wait for probate. She feels the connection with Mark fading and accepts that their sibling bond will likely dissolve over time.

She returns to San Francisco, eager to see her daughter Poppy. At home, Ian asks about her bruised face. Louise rushes to Poppy's room and finds her daughter holding Pupkin, who squeaks, "Kakawewe! How do dee do?"—confirming the doll is still alive.

Key Events

Louise tells Mark she burned Pupkin, ending the doll's immediate threat.
Mark and Louise argue over blame for his amputation; Mark feels Louise owes him an apology.
Dr. Santos delivers a prognosis: the arm cannot be reattached, but a prosthesis is possible.
Mark grows depressed, refuses therapy, and withdraws from Louise and their cousins.
Louise lies to Mercy and Constance about the accident, claiming it involved unstable shelves.
Louise decides not to sell the house for now, accepting that the property no longer holds the same meaning without their parents.
She flies home to San Francisco, feeling a sense of closure and duty fulfilled.
Upon entering Poppy's room, Louise finds Poppy holding Pupkin, who speaks and moves—revealing the doll has attached itself to her daughter.

Character Development

Louise: She experiences a mix of guilt and relief after burning Pupkin. Her caregiving for Mark is dutiful but driven by obligation, not warmth. By the end of the chapter, she believes she has closed one chapter, only to have a new crisis opened. Her reunion with Poppy shows her maternal anxiety.
Mark: His amputation triggers a deep, angry depression. He resists help, lashes out at Louise, and isolates himself. His inability to accept the loss of his arm mirrors his earlier refusal to let go of the family past.
Poppy: Though she appears only briefly, her unwitting possession of Pupkin makes her the new central target of the doll, continuing the cycle of haunting into the next generation.
Mercy and Constance: Their visit highlights the social pressure to maintain family appearances. Mercy suspects the truth but does not press.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Grief and Loss: Mark’s lost arm becomes a physical symbol of the loss of the family home, parents, and his former identity. Louise’s emotional distance from Mark signals the dissolution of their shared grief.
Guilt and Blame: The argument over who caused the amputation underscores how guilt poisons their relationship. Louise’s lie to Mercy shows she is internalizing the secret of Pupkin’s true nature.
The Inescapable Past: Despite Louise burning the doll, Pupkin’s reappearance on Poppy’s arm proves that the family curse cannot be destroyed by simple means. The past intrudes on the present with violent determination.
Parental Responsibility: Louise’s rush to see Poppy and her dread of telling Ian the truth reflect her fear of contamination—the family horror may now infect her daughter.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter marks a false resolution. Louise believes she has neutralized Pupkin and can return to normal life, but the final scene shatters that hope. The doll’s survival transfers the haunting from the Charleston house to Louise’s San Francisco home, raising the stakes dramatically. The sibling rift between Louise and Mark accelerates, and the story shifts from a shared family battle to a solitary maternal fight. The chapter also solidifies Pupkin’s supernatural resilience: burning did not destroy it, only angered it.

Study Questions

Why does Louise burn Pupkin instead of simply discarding it?
She believes fire is the only way to permanently destroy the doll, which has proven indestructible through violence. Burning also symbolizes her attempt to ritualistically end the family trauma.
How does Mark’s refusal to accept his amputation reflect his broader character arc?
Mark has always refused to confront reality—whether about his parents’ death, his need for money, or Pupkin’s danger. His denial about the arm and his lawsuits reveal his inability to adapt to loss without blaming others.
What does Pupkin’s appearance on Poppy’s arm suggest about the nature of the haunting?
The haunting is not tied to a specific location but to the Joyner bloodline. Pupkin seeks out family members, especially vulnerable children, implying that the curse is hereditary and cannot be escaped by moving away or destroying the doll.