Chapter 16: 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

The chapter opens with the narrator and her husband, Nick, waiting at the tram beach for her parents to arrive. As she watches the waves, an elderly woman emerges from the ocean wearing a green wet suit and flippers, her gray hair streaming. The narrator is struck by her — she calls her “ancient” and compares her to a mermaid, something from a Wes Anderson movie, or a Greek myth. The image is both beautiful and unsettling, prompting a long, unfiltered reflection on menopause and aging.

The narrator describes menopause as a “slow leak” — thoughts, flesh, and fluid all seeping away. She catalogs the physical indignities: crepey skin, joint pain, acid reflux, receding gums, under-eye bags, jowls, and a host of other changes. She recalls a trip to Montreal where, after a traffic jam at the Canadian border, she arrived so drenched in menstrual blood that a clot dropped out of her pants into the snow while she was talking to her Airbnb host. The host simply said “Alors” and handed her the keys.

The reflection continues with a memory lapse: she can’t recall the word “sepia” while describing the vintage brown tone of her aging skin. She asks Nick for help, offering a series of wrong guesses (“gingerbread,” “gravy,” “dirt,” “steep,” “stevia”) until he finally says “sepia.” She falls back onto the sand in relief. Nick then points out her swimsuit is inside out, and she thanks him.

The narrator laughs about menopause, and when Nick asks why, she says, “Menopause, I guess.” He replies, “Yikes.” She thinks about how public and isolating her reproductive life has been, and she jokes that at least she was spared the embarrassment of getting an erection in algebra class. Nick says, “At least that,” but looks at her uncertainly.

The chapter ends with the narrator’s internal reflection on her rage and her avoidance of emotional conversations. She compares a potential fight to a wolf in clown’s clothing, and her rage to a pen leaking ink in Nick’s pocket. She admits that if they fight, she’ll have to talk about “the babies, the lying,” and her sadness or Nick’s. She says that the older she gets, the less she wants to talk about feelings — she wants to behave badly and be immediately forgiven, or perhaps that’s just what she does.

Key Events

The narrator and Nick wait at the tram beach for her parents.
An elderly woman in a green wet suit emerges from the ocean, captivating the narrator.
The narrator reflects extensively on menopause, listing physical symptoms and indignities.
She recalls the Montreal incident where a blood clot fell from her pants in the snow.
She struggles to remember the word “sepia” and Nick helps her.
She laughs about menopause; Nick responds with “Yikes.”
She jokes about the public nature of her reproductive life and the absurdity of erections.
She internally acknowledges her rage and her avoidance of discussing feelings, especially about “the babies, the lying.”

Character Development

The Narrator: This chapter reveals the narrator’s deep ambivalence about aging. She is simultaneously humorous and horrified by her body’s changes. Her memory lapses frustrate her, but she also finds comedy in them. More significantly, we see her emotional avoidance: she fears that any real conversation with Nick will lead to a fight about their past, specifically about “the babies, the lying.” She admits she wants to behave badly and be forgiven, suggesting a desire for grace without the hard work of confrontation. Her rage is a constant undercurrent, described as a leaking pen that will stain Nick’s hands and lips if they argue.

Nick: Nick appears supportive and patient — he helps her find the word “sepia” and points out her inside-out swimsuit. But his response to her menopause joke (“Yikes”) and his uncertain look afterward show that he’s aware of the potential for conflict. He seems to sense that the conversation could turn into something more serious, but he doesn’t push. He’s a steady presence, but the chapter hints at unresolved tension between them.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Menopause as a metaphor for loss and decay: The narrator describes it as a “slow leak” — thoughts, flesh, and fluid all seeping away. This extends to memory loss, physical decline, and the feeling that her body is betraying her.
The crone figure: The elderly woman in the wet suit is described as “ancient” and compared to a mermaid or a Greek myth. She represents both the beauty and the difficulty of aging — “crone life in general. Also, it sucks.”
Memory and language: The struggle to recall “sepia” highlights the narrator’s fear of losing her mental faculties. The vending machine metaphor — pretzels stuck halfway, shaking the machine in rage — captures her frustration.
The wolf in clown’s clothing: This metaphor for a potential fight suggests that a seemingly lighthearted conversation could turn dangerous. The narrator’s rage is like a pen leaking ink, ready to stain everything.
Emotional avoidance: The narrator explicitly says she doesn’t want to talk about feelings, preferring to behave badly and be forgiven. This motif underscores her isolation and her fear of confronting the past.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter is a turning point in the novel because it brings the narrator’s internal struggles to the surface. While the surface action is simple — waiting at the beach — the chapter is a deep dive into her psyche. It reveals her anxieties about aging, memory, and her marriage. The references to “the babies, the lying” hint at a significant past betrayal or loss that has never been fully addressed. By showing her avoidance, Newman sets up the possibility that this avoidance will eventually break down, leading to a confrontation. The chapter also humanizes the narrator through her humor and vulnerability, making her more relatable and complex.

Study Questions and Answers

1. Why does the narrator find the elderly woman in the wet suit so striking?

The narrator is captivated by the woman because she embodies both the beauty and the difficulty of aging. She compares her to a mermaid or a Greek myth, calling her “so, so good,” but then immediately adds, “Crone life in general. Also, it sucks.” This duality reflects the narrator’s own feelings about menopause and aging — she sees the dignity and power in the woman, but also the physical and emotional toll.

2. What does the narrator’s struggle to remember the word “sepia” reveal about her state of mind?

The memory lapse is a source of frustration and fear for the narrator. She describes her memory as a vending machine with pretzels stuck halfway, shaking it in rage. This episode highlights her anxiety about cognitive decline, which is part of the broader “slow leak” of menopause. It also shows her reliance on Nick for support, as he helps her find the word, and her relief when she does.

3. How does the narrator’s description of her rage and avoidance set up potential conflict in the story?

The narrator compares a potential fight to a wolf in clown’s clothing, suggesting that a seemingly harmless conversation could turn dangerous. She says her rage is like a pen leaking ink in Nick’s pocket, ready to stain his hands and lips. She admits that if they fight, she’ll have to talk about “the babies, the lying” — a reference to a past issue that remains unresolved. This sets up the possibility that the narrator’s avoidance will eventually break down, leading to a confrontation that could change their marriage.