Chapter 9 Summary and Analysis: Phoebe's Anxiety and Jonathan's Support
⚠️ 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
Phoebe tries to bandage a cut on her buttock but needs Jonathan’s help. She FaceTimes Jamie, who criticizes her Hinge photos for featuring Jonathan too heavily and questions why she isn’t bringing him to the wedding. When Jonathan returns, he helps with the bandage, leading to an intimate moment. He reveals he spent the night at a coworker Sydney’s, sparking jealousy. Phoebe gushes about Finn, but Jonathan urges her to respond to Matthew, who has texted after losing his phone. Phoebe panics, recalling her anxiety history with Greg McDaniels. Jonathan comforts her and helps send a vague response agreeing to a date. She sends Matthew her Wordle score.
Key Events
- Phoebe discovers she cannot reach the cut on her buttock to bandage it.
- She calls Jamie, who points out all her Hinge photos include Jonathan.
- Jamie expresses frustration that Phoebe is not bringing Jonathan to the wedding.
- Jonathan returns with pizza; he helps apply the bandage.
- During the bandage scene, Phoebe feels an unexpected intimacy.
- Jonathan mentions he stayed at Sydney’s house; Phoebe feels jealous.
- Phoebe describes her crush on Finn; Jonathan encourages her to also pursue Matthew.
- Matthew texts apologizing for losing his phone and asks for a date.
- Phoebe has a panic attack, remembering the Greg McDaniels incident.
- Jonathan comforts her and helps her type a response, agreeing to a date after the wedding.
- Phoebe sends Matthew her Wordle score, initiating a playful exchange.
Character Development
- Phoebe Berman: Her anxiety and avoidance patterns are sharply highlighted. She repeatedly backs away from opportunities out of fear of panic attacks, yet she desires connection. The chapter shows her self-awareness of this pattern but also her difficulty breaking it. Her intimacy with Jonathan is complicated by her fixation on Finn and Matthew.
- Jonathan Cooper: He emerges as a steady emotional anchor for Phoebe, offering practical help and emotional validation. His own dissatisfaction with his job and his night with Sydney hint at a life he’s not fully sharing. His patience with Phoebe’s anxiety is contrasted with his own avoidant behavior regarding his career.
- Jamie: Offstage, she represents external pressure for Phoebe to see her relationship with Jonathan as romantic. Her critique of the Hinge photos and her question about Jonathan reveal the gap between how others view Phoebe and Jonathan and how Phoebe sees it.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
- Anxiety and Avoidance: The chapter explores how anxiety can paralyze romantic pursuit. Phoebe’s memory of Greg McDaniels and her current panic over Matthew show a recurring cycle.
- Unspoken Feelings and Noticing: The bandage scene creates a moment of physical and emotional intimacy that neither character addresses directly. The theme of noticing (Jonathan’s fingers on her skin, the way he says her name) contrasts with Phoebe’s obsession with Finn’s use of her name.
- The List as Coping Mechanism: Phoebe’s laminated list, which caused the cut, symbolizes her attempt to control her anxiety through planning. Yet the list also creates injury and complicates her life.
- Family and Social Pressure: Jamie’s comments and the flashbacks to Phoebe’s family (mother, father at graduation) illustrate external expectations that Phoebe feels but resists.
Why This Chapter Matters
This chapter deepens the central tension of the novel: Phoebe’s struggle between the safe, familiar connection with Jonathan and the risky pursuit of new relationships with Matthew and Finn. Jonathan’s role as both friend and potential partner is brought into relief. The chapter also establishes the urgency of the upcoming wedding week, which will force Phoebe to confront these choices. Phoebe’s vulnerability in admitting her anxiety and Jonathan’s consistent support solidify their bond while hinting at unresolved romantic feelings.
Study Questions
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Why does Phoebe find it so difficult to respond to Matthew’s text, and how does Jonathan challenge her reasoning?
Phoebe is terrified of having a panic attack on a date, as happened with Greg McDaniels. She fears Matthew will reject her after seeing her anxiety. Jonathan argues that having a panic attack is not the worst possible outcome, and that her avoidance only reinforces her fear. -
What does the bandage scene reveal about the emotional intimacy between Phoebe and Jonathan?
The scene shows a deep level of trust: Phoebe allows Jonathan to touch a vulnerable part of her body, and she reflects that it is the most intimate she has ever been with a man. Jonathan’s hands shake, indicating his own emotional investment. However, the moment is not discussed, leaving their feelings ambiguous. -
How does the conversation with Jamie set up the central conflict of the novel regarding Phoebe’s relationships?
Jamie explicitly questions why Phoebe is chasing Finn when she “already has a perfect live-in boyfriend.” This forces the reader to consider whether Phoebe and Jonathan have unacknowledged romantic potential, a question that recurs throughout the book. Jamie represents the outside perspective that Phoebe tries to ignore.