Chapter Thirty-Eight 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.
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This summary and analysis contain major plot details from Chapter Thirty-Eight. If you have not read this chapter yet, you may want to stop here.
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Summary
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Alison’s mother has taken a sharp turn for the worse. She refuses the food brought back from Penny and Louise’s solstice party, and despite receiving the maximum prescribed dose of morphine, she begs for more. After consulting with the hospice agency doctor, Teresa (the hospice nurse) agrees to increase the dosage. The pain is controlled, but the medication leaves Alison’s mother unconscious. Alison feels the clock ticking.
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With Janice sitting with her sleeping mother and working on a sudoku book, Alison retreats to her studio. It is the first day of Christmas vacation; Olivia is at a friend’s house, Izzy is in her room, and Mark is elsewhere. Alison immerses herself in research on binding spells, poring over books and online pages, taking notes. She studies her mother’s cryptic journal description and wonders if her mother ever attempted the ritual. She thinks she understands the gist—calling on the elements, wrapping an object in string or rope, repeating “I bind you”—but it feels futile and silly to her, like a child’s game that could never help.
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The barn door flies open. Alison expects Penny, but it is Mark, his face somber. He says they need to talk. Alison closes her laptop, but the evidence of her research—demon books, drawings, notes—is spread across the desk. Mark confronts her directly: he knows there is no therapist in Burlington. There never was a Carla Slesar. Alison tries to claim she misremembered the name, but Mark cuts her off, saying she has been lying to him for weeks about her sessions and progress. He asks when she stopped trusting him. Alison apologizes, saying she hasn’t been herself, but Mark presses further.
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Mark reveals that Izzy told him everything. He explains that Izzy recorded a video of Alison telling her about the demon possession and the belief that the demon is after Olivia. Izzy recorded it because she was worried about her mother. Mark shows pity rather than anger, and he refuses to listen to Alison’s explanations. He then drops another bombshell: Alison’s mother told him about Alison’s hospitalization in high school, her dissociative episodes, and her suicide attempt. Mark insists that Alison’s mother is not the enemy and that everyone is worried about Alison.
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Mark tells Alison he does not think it is safe for her to be around her mother or the girls. He has already made calls to a trauma clinic in New Hampshire—the Rabbit Hill Inn—which specializes in trauma and dissociation. He spoke with the director, Dr. Hinesburg, who has an opening. Mark has planned for Alison to go there the day after Christmas, with Penny and Louise staying to care for the girls and her mother. Alison laughs bitterly, comparing it to being shipped off to an asylum, but Mark frames it as a needed break and a way to help her. He appeals to her love for the girls, and Alison reluctantly agrees, even managing a smile through tears.
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As Mark leaves, Alison realizes the clock is ticking. She has only two more days to stop Azha, free her mother, and save her little girl.
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Key Events
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Alison’s mother’s condition deteriorates; she refuses food and requires increased morphine, leaving her unconscious.
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Alison researches binding spells in her studio, feeling the ritual is inadequate.
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Mark confronts Alison about her invented therapist, Carla Slesar.
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Mark reveals that Izzy recorded a video of Alison discussing the demon possession and her fear for Olivia.
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Mark discloses that Alison’s mother told him about Alison’s past hospitalization, dissociative episodes, and suicide attempt.
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Mark declares Alison unsafe to be around her mother and daughters.
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Mark has arranged for Alison to enter the Rabbit Hill Inn trauma clinic in New Hampshire after Christmas.
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Alison reluctantly agrees, realizing she has only two days to stop Azha and save her daughter.
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Character Development
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Alison is pushed to her breaking point. Her secret research and fabricated therapist are exposed, and she is forced to confront the consequences of her deception. Her internal conflict deepens: she knows her beliefs sound crazy, yet she is convinced she is the only one protecting her daughters. Her agreement to go to the clinic is not genuine acceptance but a tactical retreat—she needs time to act.
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Mark shifts from a passive, background presence to an active protector. He has done his own investigation, spoken with Alison’s mother, and made arrangements without consulting Alison. His actions are framed as loving concern, but they also strip Alison of agency, reinforcing the theme of institutional control.
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Izzy is revealed to have recorded her mother out of worry, a betrayal from Alison’s perspective but a protective act from Mark’s. This deepens the rift between mother and daughter.
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Alison’s mother remains unconscious but is a catalyst: her revelation to Mark about Alison’s past is a final act of control, even if unintentional.
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Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
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Deception and Betrayal: Alison’s invented therapist and hidden research are exposed; Izzy’s recording is a betrayal of trust, while Alison’s mother’s disclosure to Mark is another layer of betrayal.
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Loss of Trust: The chapter is built on broken trust—between Alison and Mark, Alison and Izzy, and Alison and her mother.
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Dissociation and Institutionalization: Mark’s references to Alison’s dissociative episodes and his plan to send her to a trauma clinic highlight the theme of mental illness and the fear of being locked away.
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Protection of Children: Both Alison and Mark claim to be protecting the girls, but their methods are opposed—Alison seeks supernatural intervention, Mark seeks psychiatric care.
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Time Running Out: Alison’s repeated awareness of the ticking clock underscores the urgency and impending climax.
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Gaslighting: Mark’s insistence that Alison is not thinking clearly and is not herself echoes the gaslighting Alison experienced from her mother, blurring the line between genuine concern and manipulation.
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Family Secrets: The revelation of Alison’s hospitalization and suicide attempt brings hidden history into the open, complicating the family dynamic.
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Why This Chapter Matters
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This chapter is a turning point in the novel. It strips Alison of her support systems—her invented therapist, her daughter’s trust, and her husband’s belief in her sanity. The confrontation forces Alison into a corner, making her decision to act alone more desperate and isolated. The chapter also raises the stakes: Alison has a concrete deadline (two days) and a clear antagonist (Azha), but she is now under surveillance and threatened with institutionalization. The reader is left questioning whether Alison’s beliefs are delusions or genuine supernatural threats, and the chapter sets up the climax where Alison must choose between compliance and rebellion.
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Study Questions and Answers
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1. Why does Alison agree to go to the clinic if she believes she needs to stop Azha?
Alison agrees because she sees no other immediate option. Refusing would only confirm Mark’s belief that she is a danger to herself or others, and she suspects that between Izzy’s recording, her research notes, and the invented therapist, a doctor could easily commit her involuntarily. By agreeing, she buys herself two days of relative freedom to act on her plan.
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2. How does Mark’s confrontation reveal the theme of gaslighting?
Mark repeatedly tells Alison she is not thinking clearly, that she is not herself, and that her beliefs are not real. While his concern may be genuine, his language mirrors the gaslighting Alison experienced from her mother, making Alison question her own perception of reality. The chapter shows how even well-intentioned intervention can feel like manipulation.
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3. What is the significance of Alison’s research on binding spells in this chapter?
The research shows Alison’s desperation and her belief that she must take supernatural action. The fact that she feels the spell is “futile” and “silly” highlights her doubt and the tension between her rational mind and her conviction. It also sets up the possibility that she will attempt the spell in the coming days, making the climax both magical and psychological.
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