The Girl from Devil's Lake Chapter 10: Steve Confronts His Father
⚠️ 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
In 1963, during his senior year of high school, Steve Roper writes a health class research paper about his mother, Cynthia Hawkins Roper. Through the interview and his own investigation, he uncovers details his mother had hidden: she became pregnant at sixteen, never graduated, and divorced Jackson Roper after his affair with Verna Slocomb. After graduation, Steve travels to St. Cloud under the pretense of apartment hunting. He instead searches for Verna Slocomb, only to learn from her cousin Amos that Jackson murdered her and is serving a life sentence. Steve lies his way into the Minnesota Correctional Facility and meets his father face-to-face. The physical resemblance between them is striking. Jackson admits to killing Verna because she was leaving him, but scoffs when Steve asks if a voice inside told him to do it. Offended by Jackson’s dismissal of voice-hearing, Steve ends the visit abruptly, refusing to return. He walks away thinking that while both father and son are killers, only Jackson got caught.
Key Events
- Steve writes a family-history paper and interviews his mother, learning gaps in her story.
- He finds divorce records and discovers his father’s affair with Verna Slocomb.
- After graduation, Steve travels to St. Cloud and calls Amos Slocomb, who reveals Jackson is in prison for murder.
- Steve creates a false story to gain entry to the prison and meet Jackson.
- The first meeting between Steve and his father occurs; they note their identical features.
- Jackson admits he killed Verna because she planned to leave him.
- Steve asks about a voice compelling the murder, which Jackson dismisses.
- Steve leaves, vowing never to return, and reflects that they are both killers but only his father was caught.
Character Development
Steve Roper – This chapter deepens Steve’s internal conflict. He is driven to uncover his father’s identity, showing a persistent, research-oriented nature. His reaction to Jackson’s denial of inner voices reveals that Steve himself hears voices, linking to a possible mental health condition. Steve’s determination to end the visit shows he can reject a destructive family pattern despite the pull of shared blood.
Jackson Roper – Appears for the first time in person. He is unrepentant and matter-of-fact about murdering his mistress. He recognizes Steve as his son but shows no remorse or curiosity about Steve’s life. His dismissal of voice-hearing suggests a lack of understanding or empathy, which repulses Steve.
Cynthia Hawkins Roper – Though absent from the scene, her omission of painful memories drives Steve’s search. Her choice to conceal the past shapes Steve’s quest for truth.
Amos Slocomb – A brief but crucial minor character whose blunt disclosure sets the plot in motion, revealing Jackson’s true crime.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
Family Secrets and Hidden Truths – Steve’s research paper forces the family’s buried past to surface. The paper itself symbolizes how seeking knowledge can unravel carefully maintained facades.
Identity and Resemblance – The physical mirroring between Steve and Jackson—hair, face, eyes, even crooked teeth—raises the question of how much of a person’s identity is inherited. Steve fears he may share more than appearance.
Voice-Hearing and Mental Health – Steve’s question about whether a voice compelled Jackson’s act links to Steve’s own inner voices. The chapter suggests that Steve’s mental health is a key part of his character, and Jackson’s scorn deepens Steve’s isolation.
Prison as a Symbol of Consequences – The prison, described as a fortress of hand-quarried granite, represents the weight of Jackson’s actions. Steve’s ability to walk out free contrasts with his father’s life sentence, yet Steve remains psychologically imprisoned by his own secrets.
Why This Chapter Matters
Chapter 10 is a turning point in Steve’s arc. It provides the long-awaited physical and verbal confrontation with his father, confirming that Steve has inherited a capacity for violence. The conversation about inner voices introduces a critical clue to Steve’s mental state, which will likely foreshadow future events. It also underscores the central tension: whether Steve can break free from his father’s legacy or is doomed to repeat it. The chapter solidifies Steve as a complex protagonist driven by curiosity and haunted by internal demons.
Study Questions and Answers
1. Why does Steve decide to track down his father, and what does he hope to find?
Steve’s curiosity is sparked by the health class paper. He wants to fill in the gaps his mother left, particularly about Jackson. He hopes to understand his father’s identity, though he does not consciously expect to find a murderer.
2. How does Jackson Roper react to being asked whether a voice told him to kill Verna?
Jackson reacts with indignation, insisting he is “no nutcase.” His dismissal of voice-hearing offends Steve, implying that Steve regards his own internal voices as normal or meaningful. This exchange highlights the rift between them.
3. What does Steve’s decision to lie his way into the prison reveal about his character?
It shows he is resourceful, manipulative, and willing to deceive to get what he wants. It also mirrors his father’s criminality in a smaller way, suggesting a discomforting similarity in their behavior.