Chapter 12 (June 2, 1990): What Happens and Why It Matters

⚠️ 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 12, dated June 2, 1990, is a short, intimate scene set entirely in the pastry kitchen of the resort. The narrator spends her morning with Peter, the head pâtissier, filling profiteroles while sharing her ambitions for the family business. She tells him about the improvements she hopes to make if her parents allow her to take over as general manager—a plan she has clearly been thinking through carefully.

The narrator admits she was anxious about returning this summer. She worried that Peter, now that he has been promoted to head pâtissier, wouldn't have time for her anymore. She confesses that she has always worried he will get sick of her. But Peter is the same as ever—unchanged in his warmth toward her, even as other things about him have shifted.

This summer, Peter is experimenting with sourdough starters, a new culinary project. He also now controls the music played in the kitchen, and he favors Sonic Youth—a choice the narrator openly dislikes. He is growing a beard, which she notes makes him look even more handsome, though she insists she no longer cares about that kind of thing. She reflects that she got over her crush on Peter years ago, acknowledging that he will never think of her that way.

The conversation turns to Eric, the lifeguard the narrator is currently dating. Peter doesn't approve—but the narrator notes that Peter never approves of the lifeguards she dates. He jokes that the sun must have fried Eric's brain cells. The narrator takes this in stride, recognizing that Peter wouldn't be Peter if he approved of her boyfriends. She defends Eric's intelligence, pointing out that engineering degrees are no easy feat, and adds that he looks good in a bathing suit.

Key Events

The narrator spends the morning in the pastry kitchen with Peter, filling profiteroles.
She outlines her plans to take over as general manager if her parents agree.
She reflects on her worry that Peter would change or lose interest in her after his promotion.
Peter is shown experimenting with sourdough starters, controlling kitchen music (Sonic Youth), and growing a beard.
The narrator acknowledges her past crush on Peter and insists she is over it.
Peter expresses disapproval of Eric, as he does with all the lifeguards she dates.
The narrator defends Eric's intelligence and physical appeal.

Character Development

The narrator: This chapter reveals her ambition and her desire to step into a leadership role at the family resort. Her worry that Peter might get sick of her exposes a vulnerability—a fear of being forgotten or outgrown. Her insistence that she is over her crush on Peter feels like a self-reassurance, suggesting the feelings may not be as fully resolved as she claims. Her defense of Eric shows she is willing to stand up for her choices, even against someone she clearly values.

Peter: Peter is presented as a steady, reliable presence. His promotion to head pâtissier hasn't changed how he treats the narrator. His experiments with sourdough and his control over the kitchen music show a man comfortable in his role. His disapproval of Eric is consistent with his past behavior toward her boyfriends, marking him as a protective, almost brotherly figure.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Change and continuity: The chapter is built around the tension between what changes and what stays the same. Peter has a new title, a new beard, new culinary experiments, and new control over the kitchen's music—yet his relationship with the narrator remains unchanged. The narrator's fear that things would be different gives way to relief that Peter is the same old Peter.

Family business succession: The narrator's plan to become general manager is a significant thread. It shows her investment in the family resort and her desire to carry it forward, even as she is still seeking her parents' approval.

Fear of being forgotten: The narrator's worry that Peter will get sick of her reveals a deeper anxiety about being overlooked or outgrown—a theme that resonates with her position as a young person returning to a place she loves.

Former crush: The narrator's insistence that she got over her crush on Peter years ago, paired with her observation that his beard makes him even more handsome, suggests unresolved feelings or at least a lingering awareness of him as more than a friend.

Summer romance: Eric's presence, and Peter's disapproval of him, situates the narrator's summer romance within the larger dynamics of the resort community.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter establishes the narrator's ambitions for the family business and her relationship with Peter, one of the most important figures in her life at the resort. It also introduces the tension between her current romance with Eric and Peter's disapproval, setting up potential conflict. The chapter's focus on change and continuity—Peter's new role versus his unchanged demeanor—foreshadows the larger questions the novel explores about returning to a place you love and finding it both different and the same.

Study Questions

1. Why does the narrator worry that Peter might get sick of her, and what does this reveal about her character?

The narrator's worry stems from her deep attachment to Peter and her fear that his promotion to head pâtissier might change their dynamic. She has always worried about this, suggesting a persistent insecurity about being valued or remembered. This reveals her vulnerability and her dependence on Peter's steady presence in her life.

2. How does Peter's disapproval of Eric function in this chapter?

Peter's disapproval of Eric—and of all the lifeguards the narrator dates—serves multiple purposes. It establishes Peter as a protective figure in her life, it creates a point of tension between the narrator's romantic life and her relationship with Peter, and it reinforces the theme of continuity: Peter's disapproval is a constant, just like his friendship with the narrator.

3. What does the contrast between Peter's changes and his constancy reveal about the theme of change and continuity?

Peter has changed in visible ways—his beard, his sourdough experiments, his control over the kitchen music, his new title. Yet his essential character and his treatment of the narrator remain unchanged. This contrast suggests that meaningful continuity can coexist with surface-level change, and it mirrors the narrator's own situation: she is returning to the resort with new ambitions, but her core relationships remain stable.