Chapter 64 (Chapter 63) Summary & Analysis – The City and Its Uncertain Walls
⚠️ 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 his evening walk to the library, the narrator spots a boy standing alone on the far side of the river. A light evening fog over the water makes it hard to see clearly, but the boy’s bright green parka with a picture of a yellow submarine—the same one from the Beatles’ animated film—stands out. The boy seems to be staring intently at the narrator. Despite feeling watched, the narrator decides not to deviate from his usual route and continues upstream along the river.
As he walks, the narrator notices that the snow on the riverbanks is melting, the river level is rising, and the surviving unicorns look gaunt after a harsh winter. He passes the handless clock tower and reflects that time here has lost all meaning. The narrator’s mind remains unsettled by the boy; he wonders why the boy wears such colorful clothes when everyone else dresses drably, and why the boy stared at him so openly instead of avoiding his gaze like the other townspeople.
Upon reaching the library, the girl is already there, having prepared herbal tea to soothe the narrator’s injured eyes. He tells her about the boy in the yellow submarine parka. She insists that no new person has entered the town since the narrator arrived—the only entrance is guarded by the Gatekeeper, and everyone knows everyone else. Puzzled, the narrator tries to put the matter aside and begins his dream-reading work.
Suddenly the girl notices that the narrator’s right earlobe is reddish-black, as if bitten. He had not felt any pain until she pointed it out. She examines it, then mixes an ointment from herbs and applies it to the earlobe. The pain lessens. After she leaves to prepare more, the narrator wonders what could have bitten him—there are no ordinary animals or insects in the town except the unicorns. He returns to reading dreams. The chapter ends with the observation that no one in the town, including the narrator, casts a shadow.
Key Events
- The narrator sees a boy in a yellow‑submarine parka standing across the river, who stares at him intently.
- Fog and melting snow mark the approach of spring; the unicorns are emaciated.
- The narrator passes the handless clock tower and reflects on the meaninglessness of time.
- At the library, the girl says no one new has entered the town since the narrator’s arrival.
- The girl notices a reddish‑black bite‑like mark on the narrator’s earlobe, which he had not felt until then.
- She prepares and applies a homemade herbal ointment, which eases the pain.
- The narrator resumes reading dreams, and the chapter notes that no one in the town has a shadow.
Character Development
The narrator (Dream Reader) continues his rigid daily routine, but the appearance of the boy disturbs his mental calm. His physical vulnerability is exposed when he discovers the unexplained bite on his earlobe—an injury he was unaware of until the girl pointed it out. This suggests that his senses are dulled or that something is happening to him beyond his conscious awareness. He also shows a lingering connection to his former world by recognizing the yellow submarine from the Beatles film.
The girl demonstrates deep knowledge of herbal medicine and a caring nature. She is certain about the town’s population and the impossibility of new arrivals, reinforcing her reliability as an informant. Her ability to notice the earlobe injury and prepare an effective ointment shows she is observant and resourceful, despite being frozen at age sixteen.
The mysterious boy is a new anomaly. His colorful clothing and direct stare break the town’s social norms. He may be a new arrival or a previously hidden resident, but the girl’s certainty suggests he might not be ordinary at all.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
- Meaninglessness of time: The handless clock tower and the narrator’s observation that time “had lost any significance” reinforce the town’s detachment from linear progress. Yet the narrator’s encounter with the boy disrupts this timelessness.
- The yellow submarine as a memory fragment: The submarine from the Beatles’ Yellow Submarine represents the narrator’s past world. He remembers the film and song but not the plot—like his dreams, it “means something, and at the same time, it doesn’t.” It is a symbol of unattainable or fragmented memory.
- Isolation and otherness: The boy’s brightly colored parka stands out against the town’s dull clothes. His gaze is direct, not averted. He is a potential outsider or a sign that the town is not as closed as the girl believes.
- Absence of shadows: The final line that no one in the town has a shadow echoes earlier themes and deepens the unreality of this world. Shadows commonly symbolize a soul or a connection to light; their absence suggests a lack of substance or a liminal existence.
- Healing and care: The girl’s herbal teas and ointments show how the town’s inhabitants rely on self‑sufficiency and natural remedies. The narrator’s physical wounds (injured eyes, bitten earlobe) are treated with traditional knowledge, not modern medicine.
Why This Chapter Matters
This chapter introduces a new character—the Yellow Submarine Boy—who may become a significant figure in the narrative. His presence challenges the girl’s claim that no one new has entered the town, raising questions about the Gatekeeper’s effectiveness or the boy’s origin. The earlobe injury adds a layer of physical mystery: the narrator is being marked or harmed in ways he does not perceive, suggesting that the town’s rules may be shifting. The chapter also deepens the town’s eerie atmosphere by confirming that no one casts a shadow, a detail that links back to earlier surreal elements. The narrator’s memory of the Beatles film connects his present to his past self, hinting that his identity is not fully erased.
Study Questions and Answers
1. Why does the narrator decide not to cross the bridge and talk to the boy despite feeling watched?
The narrator is on his way to the library and does not want to deviate from his set path. He also lacks a clear‑cut reason to speak to the boy, so he continues along the river, even though the boy’s stare lingers in his mind.
2. What does the handless clock tower symbolize in the town?
The clock tower with no hands symbolizes the meaninglessness of time. The town’s inhabitants do not measure time beyond day and night; the clock shows that time has lost its usual significance, reinforcing the cyclical, unchanging nature of life inside the walls.
3. How does the girl react when the narrator tells her about the Yellow Submarine Boy?
She is surprised and says she has never seen him. More importantly, she asserts with certainty that no one new has entered the town since the narrator arrived, because all residents are known to each other and the only entrance is guarded by the Gatekeeper. This creates a contradiction that deepens the mystery.