The Girl from Devil’s Lake – Chapter 20 (Chapter 18) Summary & Analysis
⚠️ 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
After returning to Fertile, Minnesota in 1972, Steve Roper becomes the full-time caregiver for his ailing mother, Cynthia Hawkins, and is forced to abandon his Arizona adventures. To plan his eventual escape, he secretly subscribes to several Arizona newspapers, tracking weather and job conditions. He fakes a back ailment to explain his interest when the postmaster, Walt Whipple, grows suspicious. By spring 1976, as his mother’s health worsens, Steve learns of teacher openings in Bisbee, Arizona, through the Bisbee Bee. He applies, needing his principal Mr. Donner’s reference, and receives a job offer two days after his mother’s death. After her funeral, he signs the contract, resigns from Fertile schools, sells his house, and buys a new Chevy Impala from Gus Elkins. He packs only what fits in the car, including his prized cigar box (Gramps’s), and leaves town on June 5, 1976, feeling exhilarated and free.
Key Events
- Steve conceals his Arizona research from his mother and the postmaster by claiming a health problem.
- Walt Whipple notices the out‑of‑state papers and confronts Steve, who lies about arthritis.
- Steve learns of Bisbee School District vacancies from the Bisbee Bee and calls the superintendent.
- He obtains an application, which arrives by mail, and uses Mr. Donner as a reference.
- Cynthia Hawkins dies two days after the application arrives; Steve receives the job offer two weeks after her funeral.
- He signs the contract, resigns from Fertile schools, sells his mother’s house and Coach Nielson’s house, and buys a Chevy Impala.
- On June 5, 1976, Steve leaves Fertile with only what he can fit in the car, feeling “lighter than air.”
Character Development
Steve Roper emerges as a patient planner who can suppress his darker impulses (the voices) for years. His caregiving is dutiful but emotionally detached—he prioritizes his exit strategy over mourning. The chapter shows him growing from a man trapped by obligation into someone willing to lie for freedom. His final giddiness suggests the long‑suppressed “voices” are now awake, hinting at danger ahead.
Cynthia Hawkins (Steve’s mother) is frail and unaware; her death is a plot mechanism that frees Steve.
Walt Whipple (postmaster) and Gus Elkins (car dealer) serve as observant townsfolk who notice but don’t stop Steve’s deception.
Mr. Donner (principal) is reluctantly trusted for a reference, showing Steve’s need to involve others without revealing his full plan.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
- Deception and Concealment: Steve lies about his health, hides his newspapers, and pretends to stay in Minnesota. The lies are a survival skill.
- Escape and Freedom: The car trunk, especially Gramps’s cigar box, symbolizes what Steve truly values and is willing to carry forward. The Impala itself marks his transition to middle age and independence.
- Isolation and Planning: Steve’s solitary research and secret preparations underscore his isolation; the voices return only when he is about to break free.
- Place as Character: Arizona is idealized as dry and warm, while Minnesota is associated with cold, family duty, and decay.
Why This Chapter Matters
Chapter 20 (Chapter 18) completes Steve’s backstory and explains how he ended up in Bisbee. It reveals his capacity for calculated deception and foreshadows the conflict between his normal teaching life and his violent inner drives. The chapter also establishes the timeline for the main story (1976 onward) and shows that Steve’s move was a deliberate escape, not a random choice.
Study Questions and Answers
1. Why does Steve subscribe to newspapers from multiple Arizona towns?
He wants accurate local weather data to choose a town that meets his climate preferences—for example, he rejects Flagstaff after learning it gets too much snow. His aim is to avoid both Minnesota cold and Arizona desert extremes.
2. How does Steve explain his interest in Arizona newspapers to Walt Whipple?
Steve claims he has early‑stage rheumatoid arthritis and his doctor recommended moving to a high, dry climate. This lie is plausible enough that Walt promises secrecy.
3. What does Steve take with him when he leaves Fertile, and why is it significant?
He packs only what fits in the Impala, including his teaching clothes and Gramps’s cigar box. The cigar box is his most prized possession, linking him to his grandfather and possibly containing the voices’ legacy—a symbol of what he truly values.