Chapter 36 Summary and Analysis

⚠️ 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

Alison slips into Olivia's bedroom late at night, moving aside stuffed animals to sit on the bed. She whispers to her daughter, calling her "little mouse," and breathes in the comforting scents of apple shampoo and warm blankets. The room is lit only by Olivia's ladybug night-light, and Alison silently recites the familiar rhyme about a ladybug flying home. Her hands tremble as she pulls back the covers and lifts Olivia's nightgown, determined to do something she believes is necessary.

She tells Olivia they are going to play the word game, the same game Alison once played with her own mother, where one person traces letters on another's back. But instead of writing words like "I love you" or "I want cookies," Alison uncaps a permanent marker and begins drawing symbols on Olivia's skin. Olivia notices the smell and asks what is happening, but Alison soothes her and continues. Olivia guesses letters, but Alison is not spelling anything—she is scribbling protective marks, hoping that marker will be enough and that blood does not have to be spilled. Alison feels desperate and silly, aware that she is becoming the "crazy woman" she always feared she might be, but she presses on.

Olivia grows uncomfortable and pulls away, shouting that she does not like it. Alison tries to calm her, insisting she is writing a secret message, but Olivia cries and begs her to stop. The door bursts open and Mark flips on the overhead light. He sees the marker and the drawings on Olivia's back, and his face fills with fury. He orders Alison out, and Olivia springs into his arms, sobbing. Alison stands frozen, then leaves the room, her legs shaking.

In the hallway, Izzy confronts her mother, holding a camera and demanding to know what happened. Alison tries to explain that she thought it would help, but Izzy's voice is accusatory. Alison retreats to the bedroom, shuts the door, and crawls under the covers, hiding like a scared child. Ten minutes later, Mark enters and yanks the covers back. He demands an explanation, pointing out that the marks on Olivia's back resemble the scars on Alison's own back—the ones she has been drawing in her studio. Alison shakes her head, knowing any explanation will only make things worse.

Mark tells her she is scaring the children and that she is not herself since her mother arrived. Alison insists she is trying to protect them and says she never should have brought her mother into the house. Mark counters that her mother is not the problem, apologizes for agreeing to the visit, and says he had no idea how hard it would be on Alison. He tells her the kids and Penny are all worried. He plans to call Gregory, his colleague, to say he will not return to school until after the break, and he will stay home with Alison and her mother. He also intends to call Alison's therapist and get more help from hospice. He wraps his arms around her and promises they will get through this together.

Alison wants to believe him, but she knows the truth deep down: things are not going to be okay. Olivia is in terrible danger, and Alison is running out of time to save her.

Key Events

• Alison enters Olivia's room at night and uses a permanent marker to draw protective symbols on Olivia's back, pretending it is the word game.
• Olivia becomes frightened and cries out, and Mark bursts in, sees what Alison is doing, and orders her out.
• Olivia clings to Mark, sobbing, while Alison leaves the room and encounters Izzy in the hallway, who is holding a camera and confronts her.
• Alison retreats to the bedroom and hides under the covers; Mark follows and demands an explanation.
• Mark notices the marks resemble the scars on Alison's own back, which she has been drawing in her studio.
• Alison insists she is protecting the children and blames her mother's presence; Mark says her mother is not the problem.
• Mark apologizes for the visit, says Alison has not been herself, and outlines a plan: he will stay home, call her therapist, and get more hospice help.
• Alison wants to believe him but remains convinced that Olivia is in danger and time is running out.

Character Development

Alison reaches a breaking point in this chapter. Her desperation to protect Olivia drives her to cross a boundary she herself recognizes as disturbing. She is aware that her actions make her seem like the "crazy woman" she has always dreaded becoming, yet she continues because she believes the alternative—doing nothing—is worse. Her internal conflict is stark: she loves her daughter intensely, but her fear of repeating her own mother's patterns pushes her toward irrational behavior. Her retreat under the covers shows a regression to a childlike state, highlighting her vulnerability and isolation.

Mark transforms from a furious protector to a concerned partner. His initial anger is visceral—he looks at Alison as if she is a stranger and seems capable of hurting her. But after Alison leaves, he softens, apologizes, and takes responsibility for the situation. He acknowledges that he underestimated the impact of her mother's visit and expresses genuine worry for Alison's mental health. His plan to stay home, call her therapist, and enlist more hospice help shows his commitment to the family, even as he misreads the source of Alison's distress.

Olivia experiences a betrayal of trust. She trusts her mother when she lies down beside her, and that trust is shattered when Alison begins drawing on her back. Her cries and clinging to Mark demonstrate her fear and need for safety. This moment likely deepens the emotional distance between mother and daughter.

Izzy appears as an observer and accuser. Her camera and pointed questions suggest she is documenting Alison's behavior, possibly out of concern or suspicion. Her confrontation adds another layer of family tension, as she witnesses her mother's breakdown.

Penny and Gregory are mentioned but not present; their roles as witnesses to Alison's decline are noted by Mark, reinforcing the sense that Alison's behavior is affecting the entire household.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Protective symbols are central. Alison draws marks on Olivia's back, hoping they will function as a shield against the supernatural threat she believes her mother represents. The fact that she uses a marker instead of blood shows her desperation to find a less violent way to enact the ritual, but also her uncertainty about whether it will work.

Generational trauma and the fear of repeating the past drive Alison's actions. She is replaying the word game her own mother played with her, but now she is the one inflicting marks. She dreads becoming the "crazy woman" she always feared, yet she is doing exactly that in her attempt to break the cycle.

The mother-daughter bond is explored through Alison's love for Olivia and her painful awareness that she may be damaging that bond. Her whispered "I love you" contrasts sharply with the fear she instills in Olivia moments later.

The ladybug rhyme appears as a motif of danger and abandonment. The rhyme's imagery of a house on fire and children alone echoes Alison's fear that her children are in peril and that she must act to save them.

Scars as symbols link Alison's past to her present. Mark notices that the marks on Olivia's back mirror the scars on Alison's own back, suggesting that Alison is trying to transfer or replicate a protective pattern she believes saved her—or perhaps one she wishes had saved her.

Magic vs. reality is a central tension. Alison feels the act is "desperate and silly," yet she cannot let go of the possibility that it might work. Mark and the rest of the family see only a mental health crisis, not a supernatural threat, creating a fundamental misunderstanding.

Isolation and misunderstanding pervade the chapter. Alison cannot explain her actions without sounding insane, and Mark cannot see the danger she perceives. This gap drives the conflict and leaves Alison feeling alone even as Mark tries to comfort her.

Why This Chapter Matters

Chapter 36 is a pivotal turning point in the novel. It marks the moment Alison's private fears and rituals become visible to her family, shattering the facade of normalcy she has tried to maintain. The confrontation with Mark forces the central conflict into the open: is Alison a mother desperately trying to protect her child from a supernatural evil, or is she experiencing a severe mental health crisis? The chapter also deepens the theme of generational trauma, as Alison repeats her mother's behavior even while trying to avoid it. Mark's response—apologizing, planning to intervene, and seeking professional help—sets up a potential intervention that Alison cannot accept because she believes the danger is real. The chapter ends with Alison's certainty that Olivia is in danger and time is running out, raising the stakes for the remainder of the novel and leaving readers questioning what Alison will do next.

Study Questions and Answers

1. Why does Alison use a permanent marker instead of blood for the protective symbols?

Alison hopes that writing the symbols in marker will be enough to activate the protective magic, avoiding the need to spill blood or inflict pain. She acknowledges that the act feels desperate and silly, but she is willing to try any method that might work. The marker represents a compromise between her belief in the ritual and her reluctance to harm her daughter.

2. How does Mark's reaction to Alison's behavior differ from what she expects?

Alison expects Mark to understand that she is trying to save Olivia, but instead he reacts with fury and orders her out of the room. Later, he shifts from anger to concern, apologizing for the visit and promising to get her help. Alison wants to believe his reassurances, but she knows he does not see the danger she perceives, so his support cannot ease her fear.

3. What does the ladybug rhyme contribute to the chapter's mood and meaning?

The rhyme—"Ladybug, ladybug fly away home, your house is on fire, your children alone"—appears as Alison enters Olivia's room. It evokes a sense of imminent danger and abandonment, mirroring Alison's belief that her children are threatened. The rhyme also connects to the idea of a home in peril, which resonates with the family's current crisis and Alison's desperate attempt to protect her daughter.

Continue Reading

• Previous Chapter: Chapter Thirty-Five
• Next Chapter: Chapter Thirty-Seven
• Return to Book Hub