Swan Song Chapter 40 – 39. There Is No Story Here: Summary and Analysis

⚠️ Spoiler Notice

This page contains detailed plot points from Chapter 40 of Swan Song by Elin Hilderbrand. Read only if you have finished this chapter or are comfortable knowing what happens.

Summary

Coco is thrown into the ocean from the sailboat and immediately becomes disoriented. Her phone slips away, and she struggles to find the surface. Once she breaks through, she sees the boat motoring away. She tries to swim toward Eel Point but the current is too strong; even swimming parallel to shore makes little progress. To lighten herself, she removes her polo shirt and shorts. She spots Tuckernuck and Whale Island but knows they are half a mile off. Exhaustion sets in; her arms and legs grow heavy. She hears a distant helicopter and waves, but it does not see her. As she begins to sink, she mentally replays scenes from her favorite movies—Lost in Translation, Armageddon, Dead Poets Society, Finding Nemo, Rocky, Barbie, and The Player. This reminds her that she is a screenwriter with purpose. She fights back to the surface, gasping for air, rejecting Bull’s claim that “there is no story here.”

Key Events

Coco hits the water and loses her phone in the ocean.
She removes her soaking polo shirt and shorts to swim more freely.
The current carries her away from Eel Point and toward open ocean.
She spots Tuckernuck but cannot close the distance.
A helicopter passes far away; she tries to signal it without success.
Coco sinks underwater and replays movie scenes to stay motivated.
She resurfaces with renewed determination, refuting Bull’s dismissive words.

Character Development

Coco: Her survival instinct sharpens under extreme pressure. Rather than giving in to panic, she applies practical knowledge (swimming parallel to a riptide, discarding heavy clothes). Her identity as a screenwriter becomes a lifeline: recalling movie scenes gives her emotional strength. The chapter deepens her resolve to prove that her own story matters, directly challenging Bull’s earlier skepticism.
Bull (off‑page): Though not present in the action, his declaration that “there is no story here” serves as the philosophical opponent Coco must overcome. His influence lingers as a doubt she refuses to accept.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Storytelling as survival: Coco’s mental replay of film scenes—from Finding Nemo (“just keep swimming”) to The Player—demonstrates how narrative can orient a person in a crisis. The chapter argues that stories aren’t optional; they are the framework that keeps us fighting.
Water as an antagonist: The ocean is described as “muscular, insistent,” a force that actively opposes Coco’s will. It represents both external adversity and the internal feeling of being swept away by circumstances.
The “no story” challenge: Bull’s remark frames the central conflict. Coco’s refusal to accept that her life lacks meaning turns a physical struggle into a metaphysical one: she must create a story worth telling.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter is a turning point for Coco’s arc. It isolates her from the main cast and forces her to rely solely on her own wits and memory. The chapter also crystallizes the book’s larger question: who gets to decide whether a life has narrative value? By rejecting Bull’s nihilism, Coco sets up her eventual role as an agent of her own fate, making future events more meaningful.

Study Questions and Answers

1. Why does Coco remove her polo shirt and shorts while swimming? She removes them because the waterlogged fabric weighs her down and impedes her arm movements. By discarding the clothes, she hopes to conserve energy and swim more efficiently, even though she loses ground to the current in the process.

2. How do film references function in Coco’s moment of near‑drowning? The film scenes act as emotional anchors. They remind her of characters who persevere (e.g., Rocky, the fish in Finding Nemo) and of her own identity as a screenwriter (The Player). Replaying these narratives prevents her from surrendering to despair and gives her a reason to fight back to the surface.

3. What does Bull mean when he says “There is no story here,” and why does Coco reject that idea? Bull’s statement implies that Coco’s life—and perhaps the events of the novel—lack dramatic significance or a coherent arc. Coco rejects this by physically and mentally fighting to survive, believing that her existence and choices can indeed form a meaningful story. Her resurfacing is a symbolic rebuttal.