Chapter 35: The Instagram Post Results and What They Mean

⚠️ 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

Chapter 35, titled “Instagram Post Results,” captures a single, devastating moment of social rejection. The narrator prepares for a gathering with care and hope. They find streamers in the attic, create a playlist mixing chill and funk music, bake brownies, and set out chips they don’t intend to eat themselves—wanting their guests to feel full and welcome. They even borrow several bottles of Aunt Jack’s wine, a gesture meant to make the space feel abundant and inviting.

But the preparation leads to nothing. No one shows up, not even Sani, who has been a consistent presence in the narrator’s life. The narrator then checks Instagram and finds the invitation post covered in cruel comments. People call it a sick joke, say they would never attend, and declare they wouldn’t be caught dead there. The post has zero likes—a stark, public confirmation of the narrator’s isolation.

In a quiet act of resilience, the narrator leaves the food out as an offering for the ancestors, hoping they will sit and eat. The chapter ends with a haunting line: at this point, the narrator would even accept the company of the heated hands of hell. This final image underscores the depth of their loneliness and the desperate need for any form of connection.

Key Events

• The narrator retrieves streamers from the attic and begins preparing for a gathering.
• They make a playlist of chill and funk music, bake brownies, and set out chips they won’t eat themselves.
• They borrow several bottles of Aunt Jack’s wine to make guests feel welcome.
• No one arrives, including Sani.
• The narrator checks Instagram and finds mocking comments on the invitation post, with no likes at all.
• The narrator leaves the food out as an offering for the ancestors.
• The chapter closes with the narrator’s willingness to accept even the company of hell’s heated hands.

Character Development

This chapter reveals the narrator’s deep vulnerability and their longing for belonging. The careful preparation—streamers, music, baked goods, borrowed wine—shows a person who wants to create a warm, welcoming space for others. The fact that they set out chips they won’t eat themselves suggests a selfless desire to please, even at their own expense.

The narrator’s reaction to the Instagram comments is telling. They don’t respond with anger or defensiveness; instead, they turn inward and then outward to the ancestors. This shift from seeking validation from peers to seeking connection with the spiritual realm shows a coping mechanism rooted in cultural tradition. The final line about accepting the company of hell’s hands reveals a raw, almost desperate need for any presence, even a frightening one. It’s a moment of profound emotional exposure, showing how isolation can erode a person’s sense of safety and hope.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Social rejection is the central theme. The narrator’s invitation is publicly mocked, and the lack of likes on the post makes the rejection quantifiable and humiliating. The comments—calling it a sick joke, saying no one would be caught dead there—are a brutal reminder of how social media can amplify cruelty.

Loneliness and isolation are woven throughout. The narrator prepares for a crowd but ends up completely alone. Even Sani, a recurring figure, doesn’t show. The empty room and untouched food symbolize the gap between the narrator’s hopes and reality.

Social media validation is a motif. The Instagram post becomes a measure of worth, and the zero likes serve as a public verdict. The narrator’s reliance on this external validation highlights the fragility of self-worth in a digital age.

Ancestor offering is a powerful symbol. By leaving the food out for the ancestors, the narrator transforms a failed social event into a spiritual act. This gesture connects them to their heritage and offers a form of connection that doesn’t depend on living peers. It’s a quiet act of resistance against the isolation imposed by the online world.

The heated hands of hell motif at the end is striking. It suggests that even a terrifying presence is preferable to absolute solitude. This image underscores the narrator’s desperation and the emotional toll of being completely alone.

Why This Chapter Matters

Chapter 35 is a turning point in the narrator’s emotional journey. It crystallizes the pain of social rejection and the loneliness that has been building throughout the novel. The chapter shows how the narrator’s attempts to connect—through a party, through social media—fail spectacularly, leaving them with only the ancestors as a source of comfort.

This chapter also deepens the novel’s exploration of identity and belonging. The narrator’s choice to offer food to the ancestors is a meaningful act of cultural grounding. It suggests that even when the living world rejects them, they can find solace in a spiritual lineage. The final line about hell’s hands is a raw, honest admission of how far the narrator is willing to go to avoid being alone.

For readers, this chapter is a poignant reminder of the weight of social rejection and the importance of finding connection in unexpected places. It also highlights the role of social media in shaping self-worth, a theme that resonates deeply in contemporary life.

Study Questions and Answers

1. Why does the narrator set out chips they don’t intend to eat themselves?

The narrator wants their guests to feel full and welcome. By providing food they won’t consume, they prioritize the comfort of others over their own needs. This detail shows their selfless, almost sacrificial approach to hospitality, and it makes the eventual rejection even more painful because their effort was entirely for others.

2. How does the narrator respond to the Instagram comments and lack of likes?

The narrator doesn’t lash out or delete the post. Instead, they leave the food out as an offering for the ancestors, hoping the spirits will sit and eat. This response shifts the focus from seeking validation from living peers to seeking connection with the spiritual realm. It’s a quiet, dignified act that turns a moment of humiliation into an act of cultural reverence.

3. What does the final line about “the heated hands of hell” reveal about the narrator’s state of mind?

The line reveals a profound desperation for any form of company, even a frightening or dangerous one. It shows that the narrator’s loneliness has reached a point where they would accept a terrifying presence rather than face complete isolation. This image underscores the emotional intensity of the chapter and the narrator’s fragile mental state.

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