Chapter 87: A Dream Gone Miserably Awry - Summary and Analysis
⚠️ 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
Molly reads Middlemarch aloud to her bedridden mother Eloise each evening. Eloise occasionally wakes, recognizes Molly, and whispers “Molly luv.” Molly shields her mother from the truth about their destroyed home, Mrs. Pride’s death, and her husband’s dangerous situation. She finds an old photo of them at Hyde Park and places it by Eloise’s bed, hoping it will spark happier memories. Believing her mother is improving, Molly contacts the wealthy Tinsdale relatives, who agree to help bring Eloise back to London for hospital care. When Molly and Charlie visit Eloise’s room to share the news, Eloise suddenly suffers a violent psychotic fit—screaming, pulling Molly’s hair, punching, and throwing the framed photo. Molly and Charlie flee and lock the door. Doctors explain that such fits are unpredictable but rare. Devastated, Molly cancels the London plan. Left alone, she opens her locket to see her mother’s picture, determined to preserve that gentler image as she drifts toward sleep.
Key Events
- Molly reads Middlemarch to her mother each evening; Eloise occasionally wakes and calls her “Molly luv.”
- Molly deliberately withholds painful truths from her mother to avoid distress.
- She discovers an old Hyde Park photo and places it by the bedside.
- Molly asks Charlie and Oliver about moving Eloise to London; Charlie offers his room.
- Molly contacts Lucretia Tinsdale, who agrees to fund Eloise’s care and transport.
- Molly and Charlie enter Eloise’s room to share the good news.
- Eloise has a sudden violent psychotic episode, attacking Molly and Charlie.
- Dr. Stephens and Dr. Foyle sedate Eloise; they explain these fits are triggered unpredictably.
- Molly cancels the London plan and stays alone in her room, clutching her locket.
Character Development
- Molly Wakefield: This chapter tests Molly’s resilience and capacity for hope. She goes from optimism (arranging her mother’s transfer) to heartbreak (witnessing the violent attack). Her final act—holding the locket—shows her commitment to preserving the memory of the mother she loves, separate from the illness that now controls Eloise.
- Eloise Wakefield: Eloise’s episode reveals the severity of her mental and physical decline. The contrast between her gentle “Molly luv” moments and the screaming, hitting woman underscores the unpredictable nature of her condition.
- Charlie: His immediate offer to give up his room demonstrates his selflessness and deepening loyalty to Molly.
- Oliver: Cautious and grounded, Oliver raises practical concerns about transport and hospital care, balancing Molly’s emotional wishes with reality.
- Drs. Stephens and Foyle: They provide clinical perspective, explaining that such fits are rare but part of Eloise’s illness, and they act to protect both patient and family.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
- The Fragility of Hope: Molly’s well-intentioned plan is shattered by a sudden relapse. The chapter illustrates how quickly optimism can turn to despair when illness is unpredictable.
- Memory vs. Reality: The Hyde Park photo and the locket represent Molly’s desire to hold onto a past when her mother was healthy. The violent episode forces her to reconcile that idyllic memory with the present chaos.
- Mental Illness as a Hidden Force: Dr. Stephens describes the mind as an “extraordinary instrument” that when damaged can turn “terribly, terribly bad.” The attack is a sudden eruption, highlighting how mental illness can lurk beneath a calm surface.
- Protective Communication (or Its Limits): Molly’s decision to withhold painful truths mirrors her earlier deceptions. While intended to protect, it also leaves Molly unprepared for the raw reality of her mother’s condition.
- The Locket as Anchor: The locket containing Eloise’s picture becomes Molly’s emotional lifeline, a tangible connection to the mother she once knew, offering comfort after trauma.
Why This Chapter Matters
Chapter 87 is a turning point in Molly’s emotional arc. It strips away the last possibility of restoring her mother to a recognizable self, forcing Molly to accept that Eloise will likely never leave the Institute. The violent attack also deepens the novel’s exploration of the costs of secrets and the limits of love in the face of irreversible illness. It sets up a painful new normal for Molly—one where she must grieve for a mother who is still alive but unreachable. The chapter also reinforces the bond between Molly, Charlie, and Oliver as they rally around her after the crisis.
Study Questions and Answers
1. Why does Molly choose not to tell her mother about the destruction of their home or Mrs. Pride’s death? Molly believes that revealing such devastating news could harm her mother’s fragile mental state. She reasons that the truth would be too distressing for Eloise, and she prioritises her mother’s peace over full honesty.
2. How does the author use the photo at Hyde Park and the locket to illustrate a contrast between past and present? The photo shows a happy, content mother and daughter at Hyde Park before the war, but Molly notices a hint of apprehension in her mother’s eyes that she had missed before. The locket becomes a symbol of the mother she remembers, a deliberate replacement for the violent image of the raving woman she just witnessed.
3. What do Dr. Stephens’s words about the human mind reveal about the novel’s view of mental illness? Stephens calls the mind “an extraordinary instrument” that makes humans unique, but warns that when it goes wrong, “it goes terribly, terribly bad.” This suggests that mental illness is a profound deviation from the norm, mysterious and difficult to manage, reinforcing the Institute’s role as both a shelter and a prison for those like Eloise.