Leah (Chapter 31): Summary, Analysis, and Key Themes

⚠️ 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 31, narrated by Leah, covers roughly three days of escalating crisis aboard the submersible. Leah wakes to find the Saint Brendan figurine tucked into her bunk, but Jelka is gone. Matteo and Leah search and find her in the wash stall, fully clothed under the shower, drinking the water with her face turned upward. When Matteo asks what she is doing, Jelka explains that she is tired of hearing a sound and that the shower muffles it. She tries to make Leah understand that beneath the ocean's noise there is something else, something she insists Leah would hear if she listened properly. Matteo interrupts by pushing Leah aside and slapping Jelka across the face.

On the second day, Leah jogs laps in the rear chamber to keep her legs from shaking. She thinks about Jelka's claim that the whaling sound is a distraction. Later she finds Matteo sitting among his torches, with a control panel smashed across its center and a cracked torch reflector. Matteo wonders aloud whether they have fallen into a dead part of the ocean, comparing it to ice fishing with his father, where life was always known to exist beneath the ice. Leah disagrees internally, feeling certain something else exists alongside them, but she does not say so for fear of sounding like Jelka. When she returns to the rear chamber, she finds Jelka wet again, leaning against the table. Jelka reaches out to her, but Leah dodges her touch, moving to make tea instead. Leah later reflects that this avoidance is the thing she feels worst about.

The third day comes in two parts. In the morning, Leah jogs and tries to keep her mind clear, recalling fragments of Miri's voice. Matteo comes through, rubbing his eyes, and says he dreamed the comms panel came online and that "they were all still there." At that moment, Jelka emerges from the wash stall, wet and clothed, and advances on Matteo. She places her hands on either side of his head, pressing his temples, and tells him she cannot stop hearing the sound. She says something is speaking to her, that it is like water condensed on the inside of her brain. Matteo apologizes and offers to pray. Jelka releases him, and both later tell Leah that things will be all right. Leah tucks Jelka into her bunk and picks up the fallen Saint Brendan figurine.

That evening, Leah is asleep on the main deck when she wakes to a crash and Matteo yelling. She finds him beating on the lower hatch of the escape trunk, through which Jelka has disappeared. The chapter explains how an escape trunk works: one enters through an inner door, seals it, floods the chamber, and equalizes pressure before opening the outer doors. Leah and Matteo try the handwheel but find it immovable. The light blinks on, indicating the trunk is flooding, and then they hear the external doors open and the rush of water—miles of it above their heads.

Key Events

Leah wakes to find the Saint Brendan figurine in her bunk; Jelka is missing.
Jelka is discovered in the wash stall, fully clothed under the shower, drinking water.
Jelka tells Leah she is tired of hearing a sound and that the shower muffles it.
Matteo slaps Jelka across the face.
On the second day, Leah jogs laps and finds Matteo with a smashed control panel and a cracked torch.
Matteo speculates that they are in a dead part of the ocean.
Leah finds Jelka wet again and avoids her touch, later feeling guilty.
On the third day, Matteo reports dreaming the comms panel came online.
Jelka emerges from the wash stall, grips Matteo's head, and says something is speaking to her.
Matteo apologizes and offers to pray; Jelka releases him.
Both Matteo and Jelka tell Leah that things will be all right.
That evening, Jelka enters the escape trunk; the trunk floods and the outer doors open.

Character Development

Leah's narration reveals her growing physical and mental strain. She jogs to prevent her legs from shaking, and she recalls fragments of Miri's voice as a way to anchor herself. Her decision to avoid Jelka's touch is a pivotal moment of guilt; she admits that of everything, this avoidance is what makes her feel worst. This suggests Leah's deep care for Jelka, but also her inability to confront the reality of Jelka's deterioration.

Jelka's behavior becomes increasingly erratic and obsessive. She seeks refuge in the shower, drinks water, and insists that something is speaking to her. Her grip on Matteo's head is violent and desperate, yet she releases him when he offers to pray, indicating a fragile connection to faith or ritual. Her final act—entering the escape trunk—is a culmination of her compulsion to escape the sound and the pressure of the deep.

Matteo's character shifts from a figure of authority to one of desperation. He slaps Jelka in a moment of frustration, then later apologizes and offers to pray, showing a turn toward religious consolation. His dream of the comms panel coming online suggests a longing for connection to the surface. His beating on the hatch reveals his helplessness as Jelka disappears.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

The hidden sound beneath the ocean: Jelka insists there is something beneath the ocean's noise, a sound she cannot stop hearing. This motif ties to the novel's exploration of the unknown and the limits of human perception.
Water as refuge: Jelka repeatedly seeks the shower, using water to muffle the sound. Water becomes both a source of comfort and a means of escape, culminating in her entry into the escape trunk.
The dead ocean vs. hidden life: Matteo wonders if they are in a dead part of the ocean, while Leah feels certain something exists alongside them. This tension reflects the characters' differing responses to isolation and uncertainty.
Memory of the surface world: Leah recalls Miri's voice and her father's book about the Trieste and the Challenger Deep. These memories provide a contrast to the oppressive present.
Religious faith and prayer: Matteo's offer to pray and the presence of the Saint Brendan figurine suggest a reliance on faith as a coping mechanism. Jelka's release of Matteo after his offer implies that prayer holds some power for her.
Crushing pressure of the deep: The escape trunk's mechanics and the final rush of water emphasize the immense pressure of the ocean, both physical and psychological.
Isolation and confinement: The confined space of the submersible intensifies the characters' desperation and their inability to escape their circumstances.
Desperation and violence: Matteo's slap and Jelka's violent grip on his head illustrate how fear and stress manifest in physical aggression.
The unknown beneath the surface: The chapter ends with the outer doors opening, leaving the reader uncertain of what lies beyond—and what has become of Jelka.

Why This Chapter Matters

Chapter 31 is a turning point in the novel, as it marks Jelka's disappearance into the deep. The chapter builds tension through the escalating incidents of Jelka's obsession with the sound and water, culminating in her decision to enter the escape trunk. Leah's narration provides a deeply personal perspective on the events, highlighting her guilt and her struggle to understand Jelka's experience. The chapter also deepens the novel's exploration of isolation, faith, and the unknown, setting the stage for the consequences that follow. The final image of the rushing water leaves the reader with a sense of loss and unanswered questions, making this chapter essential to the novel's emotional and narrative arc.

Study Questions and Answers

1. Why does Jelka repeatedly seek the shower, and what does this reveal about her state of mind?

Jelka seeks the shower because the sound of the water muffles the persistent noise she hears. She tells Leah that she is tired of hearing it and that the shower helps. This behavior reveals her growing psychological distress and her desperate need for relief. The shower becomes a refuge, but also a symbol of her increasing detachment from reality, as she is unable to escape the sound except through water.

2. What does Matteo's smashed control panel and his comment about a "dead part" of the ocean suggest about his mental state?

Matteo's smashed control panel and cracked torch indicate his frustration and loss of control. His comment about being in a dead part of the ocean reflects his despair and his sense that they are cut off from any life or hope. Unlike Leah, who feels something exists alongside them, Matteo is losing faith in the possibility of survival or connection, which foreshadows his later desperation.

3. How does Leah's avoidance of Jelka's touch contribute to her guilt, and what does this reveal about her character?

Leah avoids Jelka's touch because she cannot tolerate the thought of Jelka asking her again if she hears the noise. This avoidance is a moment of emotional withdrawal, and Leah later reflects that it is the thing she feels worst about. This reveals Leah's deep care for Jelka, but also her inability to confront the reality of Jelka's suffering. Her guilt suggests that she recognizes her failure to support Jelka when it mattered most, adding to the novel's themes of isolation and missed connection.