Chapter 17 Summary: The Monster (August 20, 2019)
⚠️ 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
On August 20, 2019, an unnamed narrator hides among the trees, watching a woman approach a birch tree. The narrator’s heart pounds so violently that they imagine it flying out of their chest and singing the woman’s name. The woman reaches into the birch and pulls out gifts that the narrator had hidden there. The narrator recognizes her immediately and is overwhelmed by the urge to call out to her using the old name she abandoned long ago. To suppress this impulse, the narrator bites down on their tongue so hard that they taste blood—salty and warm.
The woman senses something and calls out, asking if someone is there, but her eyes move right over the narrator without seeing them. The narrator longs to step out and reveal themselves, describing the pull as physically painful and magnetic. Yet they hold back, deciding that the time is not yet right. The chapter ends with the narrator holding their breath, remaining unseen as the woman continues her search.
Key Events
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The narrator watches from the trees as a woman approaches a birch tree.
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The woman discovers gifts the narrator had hidden there.
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The narrator recognizes the woman and feels a strong urge to call out using her old name.
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The narrator bites their tongue to suppress the urge, drawing blood.
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The woman calls out, asking if someone is there, but does not see the narrator.
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The narrator almost steps out but restrains themselves, feeling a magnetic pull.
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The narrator decides it is not time yet and holds their breath, remaining hidden.
Character Development
This chapter offers a rare glimpse into the narrator’s inner world, though their identity remains deliberately obscured. The narrator is clearly someone with a deep, personal history with the woman—they know her old name, which she has left behind, and they have been waiting for a long time to see her again. Their emotional state is intense: their heart races, they taste blood from biting their tongue, and they describe the urge to reveal themselves as physically painful. This suggests a character torn between longing and discipline, someone who has learned to suppress their desires for a larger purpose.
The woman, though unnamed, is characterized as a “hunter of monsters.” The narrator calls her clever, implying respect and perhaps a shared history. She is perceptive enough to sense a presence, yet her eyes pass over the narrator, indicating that the narrator’s concealment is effective. Her role as a monster hunter sets up a dynamic where the narrator may be the very monster she seeks, or at least someone connected to that world.
The narrator’s self-identification as a monster—implied by the chapter title—adds a layer of complexity. They are not merely a passive observer; they are actively leaving gifts, watching, and waiting. This suggests a deliberate plan, and their restraint hints at a patience born of necessity or obsession.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
Hidden Identity – The narrator’s concealment is both physical and emotional. They hide in the trees, but they also hide their identity by suppressing the use of the woman’s old name. The old name represents a past connection that has been deliberately severed, and the narrator’s refusal to speak it underscores the theme of hidden or abandoned identity.
Monster and Hunter – The chapter title and the woman’s description as a “hunter of monsters” establish a predator-prey dynamic. Yet the narrator is the one watching, leaving gifts, and controlling the encounter. This inversion suggests that the line between monster and hunter is blurred, and that the narrator may be playing a longer game.
Restraint and Longing – The narrator’s physical struggle—biting their tongue until it bleeds—symbolizes the conflict between desire and control. The “magnetic pull” they feel is a powerful metaphor for the emotional force that threatens to break their resolve. Their decision to hold back, despite the pain, highlights the theme of patience and the cost of waiting.
Gifts and Offerings – The gifts hidden in the birch tree function as offerings, perhaps a way for the narrator to communicate without direct contact. They are a tangible connection between the two characters, and the woman’s discovery of them suggests that the narrator’s actions are intentional and meaningful.
Why This Chapter Matters
Chapter 17 is a pivotal moment in the novel because it introduces the narrator’s perspective in a way that is both intimate and mysterious. It establishes the narrator as a character with agency, emotion, and a plan, while also deepening the mystery of their identity. The chapter also reveals the woman’s role as a monster hunter, setting up a potential confrontation that the narrator is deliberately postponing.
The chapter’s tension lies in the narrator’s internal struggle—the urge to reveal themselves versus the discipline to wait. This creates suspense and raises questions about the narrator’s motives, their relationship to the woman, and what “the right time” might be. It also connects to broader themes of identity, the past, and the consequences of hiding one’s true self.
By placing the reader inside the narrator’s head, the chapter humanizes a character who might otherwise be seen as purely antagonistic. It invites sympathy even as it maintains an air of threat, making the eventual meeting between these two characters all the more anticipated.
Study Questions and Answers
1. Why does the narrator bite their tongue until it bleeds?
The narrator bites their tongue to physically suppress the overwhelming urge to call out to the woman using her old name. The act is a deliberate, painful measure to maintain concealment, showing that the narrator’s restraint requires significant effort and comes at a cost.
2. What does the narrator’s description of the woman as “a clever one, this hunter of monsters” reveal about their relationship?
The description suggests that the narrator knows the woman well and respects her abilities. It also implies that the woman is actively hunting monsters, which may include the narrator themselves. The narrator’s tone is admiring yet wary, indicating a complex history and a potential adversarial relationship.
3. Why does the narrator decide that “it’s not time yet”?
The narrator’s decision to wait suggests that they have a specific plan or a desired moment for the encounter. It could be that they are waiting for the woman to be more receptive, or that they need to prepare something. The phrase implies patience and a belief that the timing must be right for whatever revelation or confrontation is to come.
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