Chapter 170 Summary and Analysis: List
⚠️ 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
Icarus skips his remaining classes and spends the afternoon in the library finishing his half of a shared paper for Julian. He checks his bank account and makes several calls to ensure a transfer to a new private account lands exactly as planned. Icarus researches hotels and transportation along two distinct routes: one heading toward Helios’s mother, the other away from her. He orders clothing in what he hopes is close to Helios’s size, then pauses, his cursor hovering over the purchase button. He pulls out his phone and looks again at photos of Helios’s bruising, his chest tightening in pain. He adds warm socks and tennis shoes a few sizes larger than his own to the cart and completes the payment. Watching other students leave the library for the day, Icarus feels strange—this is just one more secret laid over older ones. He wonders why leaving these people he never tried to know now seems to matter.
Key Events
- Icarus ditches his other classes to work on Julian’s paper in the library.
- He checks his bank account and arranges a transfer to a separate private account.
- He researches hotels and transportation for two possible escape directions.
- Icarus orders clothes, warm socks, and larger tennis shoes for Helios.
- He pauses before purchasing and reviews photos of Helios’s bruises.
- He completes the order and pays.
- Icarus observes other students leaving and reflects on his feelings of strangeness.
- He acknowledges that this plan is another layer over his older secrets.
Character Development
Icarus moves from passive concern into active preparation. His financial transactions and route research show methodical planning. Ordering clothing in Helios’s size indicates deep attention to detail and care for Helios’s immediate needs. His hesitation—staring at the purchase button—reveals the weight of the decision. The moment he looks at the photos of Helios’s bruises reminds readers (and Icarus) of the urgency. His final reflection on leaving people he does not know suggests a growing awareness of his isolation. Icarus is no longer just a bystander; he is committing to a course of action that will sever his current life.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs Actually Evidenced Here
- Planning and Lists: The chapter title “List” points to Icarus’s methodical approach—bank transfers, route options, clothing orders. Making lists gives him control over an uncertain future.
- Escape: Two routes (toward Helios’s mother and away from her) symbolize both possible rescue and permanent departure. The plan is as much about leaving something behind as running toward.
- Secrets: Icarus sees this new plan as “one more secret layered over his much older secrets.” Secrets accumulate, isolating him further from the ordinary life visible in the library.
- Care: The careful choice of clothing, socks, and shoes shows Icarus’s emotional investment. He thinks about Helios’s comfort down to his footwear.
- Physical Evidence: Photographing bruises and revisiting the images underscores the brutality of Helios’s situation and motivates Icarus’s actions.
Why This Chapter Matters
Chapter 170 marks a turning point where Icarus transitions from observation to action. Every task he completes—bank transfer, route research, clothing order—moves the escape from hypothetical to concrete. The chapter deepens his emotional commitment to Helios while simultaneously highlighting his own loneliness. Watching strangers leave the library, Icarus feels a pang of connection he never allowed himself before. This quiet moment of self-awareness adds moral weight to the escape plot: leaving is not just a rescue mission but also a sacrifice of the life he might have had.
Study Questions and Answers
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Why does Icarus check his bank account and make calls about a transfer?
He is ensuring that money moves to a new private account exactly when he intends, so he has funds available for the escape without detection. -
What items does Icarus order for Helios, and why are the sizes significant?
He orders clothing intended to fit Helios, warm socks, and tennis shoes “a few sizes bigger than his.” The larger shoe size and careful clothing choice show Icarus anticipating Helios’s needs, possibly because Helios will not be able to pack his own things. -
How does Icarus feel as he watches other students leave the library?
He feels “strange” and reflects on the fact that he never tried to know these people. The chapter ends with a double “Well—” and “Well,” indicating incomplete thoughts about why leaving now feels significant, as if he is finally recognizing what he is giving up.