Chapter 24 Summary, Analysis, and Key Takeaways
⚠️ 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 Ji-won back at home after the earlier confrontation with George. Ji-hyun has retrieved a scratched photograph from the trash and placed it on the desk, where the happy faces stare at Ji-won. Ji-hyun is heard outside talking to George, and for once she doesn't sound like she's antagonizing him.
Umma knocks and asks to talk. She sits on the edge of the bed, and Ji-won notices her mother's callused fingers and broken nail—marks of years of hard work at the dry cleaner and grocery store. Ji-won reflects on how her mother is the sad, weepy type, unlike her father, who had a fiery temper and once punched holes in the drywall when the dry-cleaning business closed. Ji-won feels an overwhelming sense of shame, believing she is responsible for her mother's unhappiness, and even wishes she had been born a boy so she could take care of her.
Umma explains that George told her everything about the confrontation. She says she raised Ji-won better and asks Ji-won to get along with George, noting that she has already spoken to Ji-hyun, who has promised to be nicer. Ji-won, unable to refuse her mother's hopeful expression, agrees and says whatever you want. When Umma asks if she'll apologize to George, Ji-won complies.
In the living room, Ji-won apologizes to George. He makes her repeat it louder, then demands she look him in the eye. Ji-won imagines herself growing large like Alice in Wonderland and plucking an eyeball from his head, but in reality she feels small while he smirks. Ji-hyun protests George's treatment of her sister, but George dismisses her. Ji-won finally looks George in the eye and delivers a proper apology. George approaches, lifts her chin with his finger, and says that's better.
Ji-won retreats to the bathroom and cries until she feels sick. Ji-hyun knocks and asks to come in; Ji-won tells her to leave. Ji-hyun picks the lock with a hairpin and enters, offering to kill George. Ji-won, furious, snaps at her, telling her she can't help and can't do anything. Ji-won feels a perverse relief, as if she has transferred some of her pain to her sister.
Key Events
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Ji-hyun retrieves the scratched photograph from the trash and places it on the desk
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Umma confronts Ji-won about the earlier confrontation with George
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Umma asks Ji-won to get along with George, citing her request to Ji-hyun
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Ji-won agrees and apologizes to George in the living room
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George forces Ji-won to repeat the apology and look him in the eye
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Ji-won retreats to the bathroom and cries
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Ji-hyun picks the lock and offers to kill George
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Ji-won snaps at Ji-hyun, telling her she can't help
Character Development
Ji-won is pushed to her emotional limit in this chapter. Her shame and guilt toward her mother override her own feelings, forcing her to suppress her anger and comply with the apology. Her violent fantasy—imagining herself growing large and plucking George's eyeball—shows the escalation of her internal rage. The chapter ends with her lashing out at Ji-hyun, revealing how her powerlessness is beginning to corrupt her relationships.
Umma demonstrates her prioritization of George over her daughters. She frames the situation as Ji-won's fault, saying she raised her better, and uses emotional appeals to secure Ji-won's compliance. Her request that Ji-won apologize to George, despite knowing about the confrontation, shows her willingness to sacrifice her daughter's wellbeing for the sake of her relationship.
George reveals his cruelty more openly. He forces Ji-won to repeat her apology, demands eye contact, and smirks at her discomfort. His behavior is a clear exercise of power and emotional manipulation.
Ji-hyun shows fierce loyalty and protectiveness. She retrieves the photograph, protests George's treatment of Ji-won, and offers to kill him. Her willingness to do anything for her sister contrasts with Ji-won's rejection of her help.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
The gaze is central to this chapter. George forces Ji-won to look him in the eye, asserting dominance through the act of seeing. Ji-won's fantasy of plucking his eyeball is a violent inversion of this—she imagines taking away his power to see and control her.
Powerlessness pervades the chapter. Ji-won is small, powerless, and trapped, like an insect caught in amber. Her fantasy of growing large like Alice in Wonderland represents her desire to escape this powerlessness.
Shame and guilt drive Ji-won's actions. She feels responsible for her mother's unhappiness and agrees to the apology out of filial obligation, not genuine remorse.
Pain transference appears at the chapter's end. Ji-won feels better after hurting Ji-hyun's feelings, suggesting a cycle of pain that mirrors the emotional manipulation she experiences from George and Umma.
Sibling protection is embodied by Ji-hyun, who repeatedly tries to comfort and defend Ji-won, even offering to kill George.
Why This Chapter Matters
This chapter crystallizes the novel's central conflict: Ji-won's powerlessness in her own home and the escalation of her violent fantasies. The forced apology scene demonstrates how George and Umma's emotional manipulation traps Ji-won, while her fantasy of plucking George's eyeball connects directly to the novel's title and central motif. The chapter also reveals the strain on the sibling relationship, as Ji-won's pain begins to spill onto Ji-hyun, setting up tensions that will likely drive the narrative forward.
Study Questions and Answers
1. Why does Ji-won agree to apologize to George despite her feelings?
Ji-won agrees because of her overwhelming sense of filial obligation and guilt toward her mother. She feels responsible for her mother's unhappiness and can't bear to disappoint her, so she suppresses her own feelings and complies. Her internal fantasy of violence against George remains private, showing the gap between her inner rage and her outward compliance.
2. What does Ji-won's Alice in Wonderland fantasy reveal about her state of mind?
The fantasy reveals Ji-won's desire for power and control. She imagines growing large and physically dominating George, specifically targeting his eyes—which connects to the novel's central motif of eyes and sight. The fantasy also shows her inability to act on these impulses in reality, as she remains small and powerless while George smirks.
3. How does Ji-won's treatment of Ji-hyun at the end of the chapter reflect the novel's themes?
Ji-won's snapping at Ji-hyun shows the cycle of pain and powerlessness. Unable to express her anger at George or her mother, Ji-won redirects it at the one person who is trying to help her. The relief she feels—as if she has transferred her pain—mirrors the emotional manipulation she has been subjected to, suggesting that powerlessness can breed cruelty even between those who love each other.
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