Chapter 38 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

In late summer, the office is quiet as many coworkers are on vacation. Sam, fresh from a television appearance announcing a scholarship program for low-income STEM students, basks in the attention of his colleagues. He wears his TV makeup and a tight suit, but his eyes keep drifting to Matthew’s closed office door. Sam announces a celebratory lunch and asks Matthew’s secretary if his father can join; she apologizes, saying Matthew is booked with meetings all day. The narrator quietly pleads, noting it would mean a lot to Sam, but the secretary insists Matthew cannot cancel.

At the restaurant, Sam orders two bottles of the most expensive Napa cabernet. A coworker, realizing the tab is on Sam, orders surf and turf, and everyone follows suit. Sam strains to appear happy, but the narrator sees him resolve not to let their father’s absence ruin the occasion. Back at the office, everyone is tipsy, but Matthew remains behind his glass door, on the phone, ignoring them. The narrator watches Sam’s devastation at this lack of acknowledgment.

That night, Sam insists they go out, calling it a celebration but turning it into a drinking marathon. He bellows, demands everyone keep up, and makes cutting remarks—telling the narrator she has “a pretty face and no personality.” One by one, coworkers slip away. By midnight, only the narrator and Sam remain, and they end up at the narrator’s restaurant because Sam wants steak frites. The narrator has been counting Sam’s drinks and stops at three, knowing she’ll need to get him home. She finds Harriet in the back and asks her to water down Sam’s drinks and to serve the narrator club soda with lime as faux gin and tonics.

Sam downs his weakened scotch and soda quickly, then interrogates the narrator about her upbringing and her work. He asks about her “science bullshit” and whether she’s doing “Chinese stuff.” She explains she’s working on vaccines with the Beijing team, aiming to make inexpensive vaccines for developing nations. Sam smirks, calling her a “savior.” He’s clearly trying to provoke her, and she admits to herself that he’s right to suspect she thinks she’s better than him. When the check arrives—nearly four hundred dollars for weak drinks and club soda—Sam slides it to her, knowing she can’t afford it. Harriet notices and comps the tab, handing the narrator’s credit card back uncharged.

They move to Sam’s favorite dive bar. On the way, the narrator spots a champagne-colored Camry with a California plate bearing the number 322—the Skull and Bones number—and a plate holder that reads “Botany is bitchin.” She kneels and unscrews the plate, tucking it under her arm. Sam laughs, saying she’s more fun than he thought. A cop is busy with another man, so they go unnoticed. Inside the dim bar, Sam cuts lines of cocaine onto a legal pad using his fake driver’s license—the same one that says he’s twenty-four, though he’s actually eighteen. The bartenders go along with him because he’s rich and irresponsible. Sam buys expensive drinks, even after he’s too drunk to appreciate them. He offers the narrator a bourbon; she declines, but he insists, and she eventually does the coke and downs the bourbon.

Sam then asks what it’s like to be the favorite son. The narrator protests, but Sam accuses her of knowing it. He says he’ll never be good enough for their father, that Matthew thinks he’s a waste of oxygen. His voice wobbles, and he looks close to tears. The narrator says, “Sam, he loves you,” but Sam replies, “Fuck him,” never calling Matthew “father.” The narrator realizes she expects nothing from Matthew and is happier for it. At last call, Sam gives her a tight, sweaty hug and says, “Thanks, man. You’re all right.” She puts him in a cab, then walks to the office instead of the condo, clutching the stolen license plate, and falls asleep at her desk.

The next morning, the narrator wakes up still drunk, drool on her chin. She buys coffee, but the world spins. When she returns, she finds Sam at his desk with a blank look, gray-purple bags under his eyes. She pats his shoulder; he barely registers it. His computer screen is dark. She sits to answer emails, struggling to form sentences. Then she hears Ray say, “No, no, no,” and then, “Nick, call 911.” Ray’s face is drained of color. The narrator calls 911 and hands the phone to Ray. A crowd gathers at Sam’s desk: Sam is collapsed over his keyboard, a string of gibberish on the screen. An empty pill bottle sits beside him, with a few pills scattered like green seeds. Someone cries, “He’s not breathing!” The narrator takes Sam’s hand—it’s warm but limp—and she drops it, shouting, “You fucking idiot.” She senses Matthew’s gaze on her. EMTs rush in and lift Sam onto a stretcher. Matthew looks at the narrator and shakes his head, as if disappointed. The narrator thinks of Otto’s mocking attitude toward Sam and wonders whose fault this is—Sam’s, or anyone’s. She wants to shout at Matthew: “All Sam needed was you.” An EMT asks Matthew if he wants to ride along in the ambulance. Matthew says, “I’ll be right behind you,” but as the siren fades, he returns to his office and shuts the door.

Key Events

Sam announces a scholarship program on TV and invites coworkers to lunch; Matthew declines.
Sam drinks heavily, makes cutting remarks, and drives coworkers away.
The narrator asks Harriet to water down Sam’s drinks and to comp the bill.
Sam uses a fake ID and does cocaine at a dive bar, expressing resentment toward Matthew.
The narrator steals a license plate and does coke with Sam.
Sam collapses at his desk the next morning; an empty pill bottle is found.
EMTs arrive, but Matthew refuses to ride along and retreats to his office.

Character Development

Sam emerges as a tragic figure trapped between public success and private despair. His TV appearance and scholarship announcement are performances meant to win Matthew’s approval, but his father’s withholding affection drives him to self-destruction. His drinking, drug use, and cutting remarks reveal a deep insecurity and a desperate need for validation. His confession that he’ll “never be good enough” shows a vulnerability that contrasts with his earlier bravado.

The narrator is forced into a caretaker role, trying to manage Sam’s excesses while also compromising her own ethics—she drinks, does coke, and steals a license plate. Her internal conflict is evident: she resents Sam’s privilege but also pities him. Her final thought—that all Sam needed was Matthew—highlights her understanding of the family’s dysfunction.

Matthew remains cold and distant, refusing to engage with Sam even in a crisis. His decision to stay behind while Sam is taken away underscores his emotional neglect and sets up the chapter’s tragic irony.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Paternal approval and withholding affection: Matthew’s closed door and refusal to join lunch symbolize his emotional unavailability. Sam’s entire arc is driven by his need for his father’s acknowledgment.
Substance abuse as self-medication: Sam’s drinking and cocaine use are not celebratory but destructive, a way to numb the pain of rejection. The empty pill bottle is a stark symbol of his final attempt to escape.
Class disparity and financial privilege: Sam uses money to control and humiliate, as when he slides the expensive bill to the narrator. The narrator’s middle-class background contrasts with Sam’s wealth, yet she is the one who ends up caring for him.
Performance of success vs. private self: Sam’s TV appearance and public persona mask his inner turmoil. The narrator’s fake gin and tonics and the stolen license plate are small acts of deception that mirror the larger lies the family tells itself.
Sibling rivalry and favoritism: Sam’s accusation that the narrator is the “favorite son” reveals a deep-seated jealousy, even though the narrator insists it isn’t true.
Neglect and family dysfunction: Matthew’s absence at the lunch and his refusal to ride in the ambulance highlight the family’s failure to support one another.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter is a turning point in the novel, as it culminates in Sam’s overdose and Matthew’s cold response. It exposes the toxic dynamics that have been simmering beneath the surface: Sam’s desperate need for approval, the narrator’s moral compromises, and Matthew’s emotional neglect. The chapter also foreshadows the consequences of these dynamics, as Sam’s collapse forces the narrator to confront her own role in the family’s dysfunction. The stolen license plate—a symbol of rebellion and identity—adds a layer of irony, as the narrator’s small act of defiance occurs just before a life-threatening crisis.

Study Questions and Answers

1. Why does Sam’s behavior escalate so dramatically after the lunch?

Sam’s escalation is directly tied to Matthew’s refusal to acknowledge his achievement. The lunch is meant to celebrate Sam’s scholarship announcement, but Matthew’s absence and closed door signal rejection. Sam’s drinking and drug use are attempts to numb the pain of that rejection, but they also serve as a cry for attention. His cutting remarks and reckless behavior are a way to force others to react, even if negatively, because he cannot get his father’s approval.

2. What does the narrator’s decision to steal the license plate reveal about her character?

The narrator’s theft of the license plate is a spontaneous act of rebellion, perhaps a way to assert control in a situation where she feels powerless. It also shows her willingness to break rules when she perceives a personal benefit, even if it’s trivial. This act contrasts with her otherwise responsible behavior—she tries to manage Sam’s drinking and gets him home safely—but it also highlights her own moral ambiguity, as she later does coke with Sam.

3. How does Matthew’s reaction to Sam’s collapse affect the chapter’s meaning?

Matthew’s refusal to ride in the ambulance and his retreat to his office underscore his emotional detachment and his failure as a father. His head shake, as if disappointed in the narrator, suggests he blames others for Sam’s condition rather than himself. This reaction reinforces the theme of neglect and sets up the possibility that Sam’s overdose is a direct consequence of Matthew’s withholding affection. The chapter ends with Matthew shutting the door, symbolizing his continued refusal to engage with the crisis.