Chapter summaries I Have Some Questions for You Rebecca Makkai

Chapter 24 Summary and Analysis: The Dick List and a Crush Revisited

⚠️ 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

In class, student Lola reveals that her uncle is Mike Stiles, a former Granby classmate of Bodie’s. Bodie recalls her teenage crush on Mike—and how it ended abruptly when she saw his dorm-room posters of thin models, making her feel she was “too fat.” She then remembers the “Dick List,” a private document started by Carlotta and Sakina John that catalogued male genitalia. Bodie distinguishes this list from the exploitative Thalia Bingo sheet, arguing that the Dick List was a form of revenge against boys who flaunted their bodies or sexually harassed girls. She recounts an incident where Dorian Culler exposed himself to her in a school hallway. The chapter returns to the present as the class discusses their podcast projects; Britt wants to interview Mike Stiles, hoping he can provide insight into Thalia’s death and Omar’s confession.

Key Events

  • Lola announces that her uncle is Mike Stiles, a Granby alumnus.
  • Bodie reflects on her past crush on Mike and the moment she saw his posters of Kate Moss and Winona Ryder, feeling she was too large to be desired.
  • Bodie recalls the Dick List created by Carlotta and Sakina John, which detailed the dimensions of various boys’ genitals.
  • She remembers Marco Washington providing information he gathered from Lambeth dorm, including details about Kellan TenEyck and Blake Oxford.
  • Bodie differentiates the Dick List from the Thalia Bingo sheet, arguing the former was not predatory but a response to unwanted sexual exposure.
  • She recounts Dorian Culler exposing himself to her three times, including an incident in the gym hallway.
  • In the present, Britt asks to interview Mike for her podcast, and Bodie believes Mike could vouch for her and help with the investigation.
  • Class members share progress on their podcast projects: Alder’s time-travel concept and Alyssa sleeping through class.

Character Development

  • Bodie: Shows considerable self-awareness by acknowledging her hypocrisy—she despises the Thalia Bingo sheet yet laughs at the Dick List. Her reflections on body image reveal ongoing vulnerability from adolescence. She also demonstrates growth in how she views past harassment, framing the Dick List as a reclaiming of power.
  • Lola: A student who provides a link to the past via her uncle. She is casually assertive, much like her uncle seems to have been.
  • Mike Stiles: Though not physically present, he looms as a symbol of Bodie’s adolescent insecurities. His current life as a professor contrasts with his earlier persona as a jock.
  • Britt: Continues her investigative zeal, seeking out new sources for her podcast.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

  • Sexual Harassment and Power: Dorian Culler’s repeated exposure of himself highlights the predatory environment at Granby. Bodie’s response—raising her hand to block her view—shows learned helplessness.
  • Hypocrisy and Moral Complexity: Bodie’s discomfort with her own laughter at the Dick List forces her (and the reader) to question whether revenge can be justified without becoming predation.
  • Body Image and Worth: Mike’s posters of waif-like models trigger Bodie’s sense of being “too fat.” This motif recurs as a reminder of how teenage culture imposes harsh standards.
  • Documentation as Revenge: The Dick List is presented as a grassroots document that flips the gaze. Unlike the bingo sheet, it did not endanger anyone, according to Bodie.
  • Memory and Revision: Bodie’s memories of the Dick List and of Dorian are filtered through her present understanding of trauma and justice.

Why This Chapter Matters

Chapter 24 deepens the novel’s central tension between past and present, and between competing forms of harassment. By juxtaposing the Dick List with the Thalia Bingo sheet, Bodie forces readers to consider the ethics of documentation: when is cataloguing someone’s body a form of empowerment, and when does it become exploitation? The chapter also re‑introduces Mike Stiles as a potential source for the podcast, hinting that the investigation into Thalia’s death may expand beyond Omar’s confession. Bodie’s personal story—her teenage crush and its abrupt end—anchors the larger themes of power, desire, and the scars left by adolescence.

Study Questions and Answers

  1. Why does Bodie stop liking Mike Stiles?
    Bodie sees his dorm‑room posters of thin models (Kate Moss, Winona Ryder) and concludes that she is “too fat, too messy, too chipmunk‑cheeked” to be the kind of girl he would want. His ideal body type does not match hers, so she crushes her own feelings.

  2. How does Bodie distinguish the Dick List from the Thalia Bingo sheet?
    Bodie argues that the Dick List did not put anyone in danger or turn a person into an object to be “grabbed.” The bingo sheet, by contrast, objectified Thalia and reduced her to a prize. Moreover, she feels the Dick List was a response to unwanted sexual exposure—a way for girls to reclaim power after having male bodies forced on them.

  3. What incident does Bodie recount involving Dorian Culler?
    Dorian exposed himself to Bodie three times. Once, in the back hallway of the gym, he claimed she had left a bite mark on his cock and pulled it out of his shorts. Bodie raised her hand to block her view, and he mocked her for reaching toward him. She later felt she had done the “wrong thing” but was not sure what the right response would have been.

Navigation