Chapter 40: There Was a Girl — Summary and Analysis
⚠️ Spoiler Notice
This summary and analysis contains detailed plot points from Chapter 40 of Remarkably Bright Creatures. Read ahead only if you are ready to know what happens in this chapter.
Summary
Chapter 40 opens with the phrase “There was a girl” winding through every moment of Tova’s daily routine. She hears it while making her bed, waiting for coffee, and dusting baseboards. The line comes from Adam Wright’s revelation at the Elland Chophouse: a girl was with Erik the night he died, but Adam could not remember her name.
Tova mentally reviews Erik’s known romantic history. He was selective and had only a few sweethearts: Ashley Barrington, whom he took to the homecoming dance; Jenny-Lynn Mason, his prom date; and Stephanie Lee, who visited the house for study dates. The police interviewed all three, but none knew anything about that night. Stephanie had been home asleep, a fact the detective eventually confirmed.
While trying to complete a crossword puzzle, Tova’s concentration fractures. The clue is a five-letter word for a daredevil’s move, and she knows the answer is “STUNT,” but her mind wants to write “A GIRL” or the girl’s name instead. She questions whether Adam’s account is trustworthy: he drank several martinis, and he was not a close friend of Erik’s. She picks at a peeling corner of Formica on her kitchen table, reflecting on how everything in her life seems to be coming apart.
Overwhelmed, Tova lies down on the davenport for an afternoon nap—something she has not done in years. The phone wakes her. It is Jessica Snell, the realtor, reporting an offer on Tova’s house for ten thousand dollars above the asking price. Tova agrees to counter the offer. She realizes she does not have an email address, so Jessica will drop off the paperwork in person.
After hanging up, Tova pours cold coffee, heats it in the microwave, and steps onto the back porch. Cat joins her, settling on her lap. Tova strokes him and wonders aloud what will happen to him once the house is sold. She sets the problem aside for another day.
The thought of the girl continues to nag at Tova as she signs the paperwork, makes supper, and drives to the aquarium. She almost misses the familiar turn into the parking lot. At work, Cameron seems lost in his own world. They clean in silence. Tova asks whether he has heard from his father; he has not. She tries to cheer him up by adopting an unnaturally cheerful tone.
While scrubbing the eastern side of the building, Tova pauses at Marcellus’s tank. The octopus drifts out, blinks in greeting, and presses one of his tentacles against the glass. She watches the rows of perfect, round suckers and feels an idea forming—something to lift Cameron out of his distracted state.
Key Events
- The phrase “There was a girl” infiltrates every part of Tova’s daily life after Adam Wright’s revelation.
- Tova recalls Erik’s past girlfriends—Ashley Barrington, Jenny-Lynn Mason, and Stephanie Lee—and notes that none had useful information about the night he died.
- Tova struggles to complete a crossword puzzle, her mind unable to focus on anything other than the girl’s unknown name.
- She questions Adam Wright’s credibility, noting his heavy drinking and his distant relationship with Erik.
- Exhausted by these unresolved questions, Tova takes an afternoon nap—something she has not done in years.
- Jessica Snell calls with an offer on Tova’s house for ten thousand dollars above the asking price; Tova decides to counter.
- Tova worries about what will happen to Cat after she sells the house.
- At the aquarium, Cameron is quiet and distracted; Tova asks about his father and gets no news.
- Marcellus presses a tentacle to the glass, and Tova is struck by an idea to help Cameron.
Character Development
Tova Sullivan — This chapter reveals Tova in an unusually fragile state. The idea of a girl connected to Erik’s death unravels her usual composure. She cannot finish crossword puzzles, takes an uncharacteristic nap, and questions the reliability of her own memory. Her decision to accept the offer on her house signals a willingness to let go of the past, yet her worry about Cat shows that she still seeks to care for something. Most importantly, her idea at the end of the chapter demonstrates that even while overwhelmed, she remains capable of creative, compassionate thinking aimed at helping someone else.
Cameron — Though he says little, Cameron’s silence and distraction show that his search for his father weighs heavily on him. He works mechanically, unable to engage in conversation. Tova’s observation of his state sets up the idea she forms while watching Marcellus.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
The persistence of grief — The phrase “There was a girl” operates as an intrusive thought that Tova cannot shake. It disrupts her concentration, sleep, and daily routines, illustrating how grief can resurface with new information even decades later.
Memory and unreliability — Tova’s doubts about Adam Wright’s drunken recollection mirror her own anxiety about what she might have forgotten. The chapter questions whether any memory, especially one filtered through alcohol and time, can be trusted.
Letting go — Selling the house is a concrete step toward releasing the physical space tied to her past with Erik. The chapter links this material transition to the emotional work of accepting unanswered questions.
The crossword puzzle — A symbol of the ordered, solvable world Tova once inhabited. Her inability to complete the puzzle reflects the messiness of grief, which does not conform to neat clues and tidy answers.
Marcellus as connector — The octopus’s deliberate gesture of pressing a tentacle to the glass bridges Tova’s internal turmoil with an outward action. His presence sparks the idea that may help Cameron, reinforcing the theme of unexpected connection.
Why This Chapter Matters
This chapter marks a turning point in Tova’s emotional arc. For the first time, she must reckon with the possibility that someone else—a girl whose name remains unknown—was present at the moment of Erik’s death. The uncertainty unravels the careful structure she has maintained for decades. At the same time, the offer on her house represents a concrete step toward a new phase of life. The chapter also reconnects the two central human story lines: Tova’s grief and Cameron’s search for his father. Finally, Tova’s idea, prompted by Marcellus, promises to bring these threads together in the chapters ahead.
Study Questions and Answers
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How does the phrase “There was a girl” function as an intrusive thought for Tova, and what does it reveal about her psychological state?
The phrase repeats in Tova’s mind during every mundane activity—making the bed, waiting for coffee, dusting. This repetition shows that Tova cannot compartmentalize the new information the way she has handled past grief. Her usually disciplined mind is now chaotic, and the unknown girl represents a question she may never be able to answer. -
Why does Tova doubt Adam Wright’s account of the night Erik died?
Tova recalls that Adam drank several martinis during their lunch meeting, and she notes that he was not one of Erik’s close friends. She questions whether a memory that emerged under the influence of alcohol and after so many years can be reliable. Her skepticism reflects both her rational nature and her fear of reopening old wounds based on uncertain evidence. -
What does Tova’s decision to sell her house signify in the context of her character arc?
Accepting the offer on the house represents Tova’s willingness to release the physical space that holds decades of memories of Erik. It is a practical decision that also carries emotional weight, as shown by her simultaneous worry about Cat’s future. The sale aligns with her growing openness to change, even as she struggles with unresolved questions about the past.