Chapter 18: Bugatti and Blondie – Summary and Analysis
Spoiler Notice
This summary and analysis of Chapter 18 of Remarkably Bright Creatures assumes you have read the chapter. It contains details about past events, including references to Erik Sullivan’s death and Lars Sullivan’s estrangement.
Summary
Tova drives to Hamilton Park, a spot she once visited with her late husband Will for picnics. Now she goes there simply to escape the silence of her empty house. Settling at a picnic table, she works on a crossword puzzle under the hot sun. The clues include “Harry of Blondie” (six letters) and “Italian automaker Bugatti” (six letters). She is stuck on both.
A man on a bicycle stops at the drinking fountain, which Tova warns him is broken. She offers him a bottle of water, and he gratefully drinks it. He sits across from her and glances at the crossword. He identifies the automaker as Ettore Bugatti and then corrects her other clue: Debbie Harry of Blondie. Tova pencils in the answers, and they exchange a high five. The man mentions having had a crush on Debbie Harry, and Tova remarks that her son Erik also liked her.
The man’s expression shifts as he recognizes Tova as Erik Sullivan’s mother. He introduces himself as Adam Wright, a former classmate of Erik’s. He awkwardly apologizes and quickly leaves on his bike. Tova remains at the table, flooded with unasked questions and struggling to breathe.
Back home, Tova does her Wednesday laundry. Her brother Lars’s old flannel bathrobe, retrieved from the nursing home after his death, sits folded on the washing machine. She considers cutting it into rags but cannot bring herself to do so. Among Lars’s effects were photographs: childhood photos she kept, photos of his later life she threw away, and one painful image of Lars and teenage Erik on a sailboat. Lars taught Erik to sail, including how to cut an anchor rope clean. Tova almost throws away that photo but instead hides it at the back of a kitchen drawer.
Key Events
- Tova visits Hamilton Park alone and works on a crossword puzzle.
- A cyclist named Adam Wright approaches a broken drinking fountain; Tova gives him water.
- Adam helps Tova solve two crossword clues: Ettore Bugatti and Debbie Harry.
- Adam recognizes Tova as Erik Sullivan’s mother and leaves abruptly after apologizing.
- Tova sits alone, overwhelmed by the chance encounter and unasked questions.
- At home, Tova deals with Lars’s bathrobe and the photo of Lars and Erik sailing, which she hides in a drawer.
Character Development
- Tova Sullivan: This chapter reveals Tova’s ongoing struggle with grief and isolation. She seeks solitude in a place that once held happy memories with Will. Her reaction to meeting Adam Wright shows how raw Erik’s death remains; she immediately suppresses a torrent of questions. Her handling of Lars’s belongings—keeping only the painful photo of Lars with Erik—underscores her difficulty letting go of the past, even when it hurts.
- Adam Wright: Introduced as a minor character, Adam is a former classmate of Erik’s. He is friendly and helpful at first, but his immediate recognition of Tova and his rushed departure suggest he carries his own unresolved feelings about Erik’s death.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
- Crossword puzzles as a coping mechanism: Tova uses the crossword to occupy her mind, but the clues connect directly to her past—Debbie Harry through Erik, Bugatti through a brief shared moment with a stranger. The crossword symbolizes how grief intrudes even on attempts at normalcy.
- The gift of water: Tova’s offer of water to Adam is a small act of kindness that leads to an emotional confrontation. Water here represents both sustenance and the unexpected flow of painful memories.
- Photographs and heirlooms as anchors: Lars’s bathrobe and the sailing photo are objects Tova cannot discard. They serve as physical reminders of relationships that were complicated (Lars’s estrangement) and tragically cut short (Erik’s death). The photo in the drawer symbolically buries grief rather than resolving it.
Why This Chapter Matters
Chapter 18 introduces Adam Wright, a direct link to Erik’s life that Tova has never accessed before. It deepens her isolation by showing how rare such encounters are and how they leave her more shaken than comforted. The subplot with Lars’s belongings adds another layer to Tova’s character: her refusal to fully confront the past, even as she hoards its most painful evidence. This chapter sets up potential future revelations about Erik’s death and Tova’s relationship with her brother.
Study Questions and Answers
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Why does Tova offer Adam water even though she initially warns him about the broken fountain?
Tova is accustomed to being prepared and helpful. Offering the water is a reflex of politeness, but it also reflects her desire for human connection, even if fleeting. The gesture leads to an exchange that forces her to confront her son’s memory. -
What does the photograph of Lars and Erik sailing represent to Tova?
The photograph captures a happy moment between her brother and her son, two people she has lost. It symbolizes the bond she was not part of and the sailing skills Lars passed on. Tova’s inability to throw it away—despite the pain it causes—shows her unwillingness to fully let go of either relationship. -
How does the crossword clue “Harry of Blondie” serve as a prompt for memory in this chapter?
The clue initially frustrates Tova because she cannot recall the name “Debbie.” When Adam solves it, it triggers a memory of buying Erik a Blondie cassette. This small moment of recognition bridges the past and present, reminding Tova of the simple joys of Erik’s childhood while also deepening the sense of loss.