Chapter 35 Summary and Analysis: Queerbaiting Discourse and Gretchen's Denial
⚠️ 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
After the tense shed scene, Otávio flees immediately while Gretchen acts as if nothing happened. Imogen’s dad makes lunch, and Gretchen cheerfully discusses college plans and movie ideas, seemingly oblivious to the rift with Edith. Imogen struggles to reconcile Gretchen’s behavior with the earlier conflict.
While Gretchen chatters, Imogen’s mind drifts to queerbaiting discourse she has encountered in Pride Alliance—the idea that allocishet influencers and creators sometimes hint at queerness for clout. She recalls a Broadway actor who was harassed online for playing a queer role, only to come out as queer himself. The memory stings, and Imogen wonders about the real motivations behind such accusations. She questions whether she is just bad at spotting queerbaiting or if people sometimes “see it too well.”
Dad asks Imogen to go through boxes with Edith, providing a welcome exit. Gretchen leaves for a scheduled trip to the outlet mall, but plans to hang out on Friday. Once she is gone, Imogen feels her mind “come off mute,” relieved and more alert.
Key Events
- Otávio runs home immediately after the shed work ends.
- Gretchen acts cheerful and oblivious during lunch, discussing college Discord servers and a documentary.
- Imogen internally wrestles with memories of queerbaiting discourse and the case of a Broadway actor who was forced to come out.
- Dad creates a task for Imogen and Edith to go through boxes, giving Imogen a reason to cut the hangout short.
- Gretchen leaves for the outlet mall; Imogen feels a surge of relief and mental clarity.
Character Development
Imogen: Imogen’s internal monologue deepens as she examines the concept of queerbaiting. She admits she cannot always tell if someone is allocishet, and she reflects on the harm done when people “see it too well.” This self-doubt hints at her own unresolved feelings about her identity—she senses something is off with the accusations but does not yet apply the lesson to herself.
Gretchen: Gretchen continues to perform normalcy, ignoring the emotional fallout from the shed. Her refusal to acknowledge Edith’s anger suggests either genuine denial or a deliberate avoidance of conflict. She seems more invested in future plans (college Discord, a movie night) than in repairing the present tension.
Edith: Though Edith does not appear in the scene (she blasts music in her room), her absence underscores her anger. Imogen’s dad also shows subtle awareness, creating an excuse for Imogen to step away.
Themes, Symbols, and Motifs
Queerbaiting and the Straight Gaze: Imogen’s rumination on queerbaiting discourse forms the chapter’s thematic core. The term “straight gaze” (a play on “male gaze”) critiques how straight audiences consume queer content. Imogen worries that she lacks the ability to spot queerbaiting, but she also questions whether the discourse sometimes punishes genuine queer people.
Denial as a Coping Mechanism: Gretchen’s bright, surface-level chatter contrasts sharply with the earlier tension. Her refusal to address the conflict mirrors the way Imogen sometimes avoids her own identity questions. The chapter suggests that denial can be a collective performance.
The Unreliable Voice of the Group: Imogen recalls that queer people are said to be “hardwired to recognize each other,” yet she notices that the group sometimes “see[s] it too well.” This unsettles her faith in communal judgment and plants seeds of doubt about her own place in the community.
Why This Chapter Matters
Chapter 35 is a quiet but pivotal moment. It shows the emotional gap between Imogen and Gretchen, setting the stage for a potential rupture. More importantly, it forces Imogen to confront the limits of queer discourse. Her empathy for the Broadway actor—who came out under duress—foreshadows her own eventual reckoning with her identity. The chapter also highlights the exhaustion of performing ignorance: Imogen feels relief only when Gretchen leaves, signaling that the relationship is no longer safe for her.
Study Questions and Answers
1. Why does Imogen think about the Broadway actor in this chapter? What parallel does she see?
Imogen remembers an actor who was harassed into coming out because people assumed he was straight and stealing a queer role. She feels sick about it. The parallel is that she herself might be someone who is not who people assume she is. The discourse fails to account for people who are not yet out.
2. How does Gretchen’s behavior during lunch contradict the events of the shed scene? What might this suggest?
Gretchen acts cheerful, talks about college plans, and suggests a movie night, as if the heated confrontation with Edith never happened. This suggests she is either in denial about the fight or unwilling to acknowledge it because doing so would force her to reflect on her own role in the conflict.
3. What does Imogen mean when she says she feels “out of [her] league” with queer discourse?
She feels she cannot keep up with the nuances of identifying queerbaiting, the straight gaze, and other hot-topic terms. She lacks the confidence to speak over queer peers, but she also suspects the discourse can be overapplied. This insecurity mirrors her larger confusion about her own identity.