Chapter 3: A Family Dinner and the Praying Mantis Debate
⚠️ 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 the family of four sharing dinner at their new kitchen table—a luxury their cramped Bronx apartment never allowed. Millie proudly announces they are “christening” the table, a word she has used repeatedly throughout the day, much to Nico’s teasing. The meal is takeout Chinese, with Nico eating his usual buttered white rice while the others enjoy lo mein and beef with broccoli.
Conversation turns to the children starting school the next day after spring break. Ada, clearly anxious, pushes her food around her plate. Enzo offers to drive her in his truck, but Ada insists on taking the bus with her little brother after learning they can ride together. Millie reflects on Ada’s protective nature toward Nico, a bond forged since his infancy.
Nico then asks for a pet. Ada suggests a dog or turtle, but Nico shocks Millie by requesting a praying mantis. When Millie objects, Enzo reveals he already knows about the plan and supports it. After debating the practicality—including that the mantis egg will hatch hundreds, which then eat each other—Millie reluctantly agrees. She finds dark amusement imagining how horrified their neighbor Suzette would be by the insect in her perfect cul-de-sac.
Key Events
- Millie uses the word “christen” for the kitchen table, having already “christened” the living room, yard, and toilet.
- Ada expresses anxiety about starting school; she decides to ride the bus with Nico.
- Nico requests a praying mantis as a pet, revealing a pre-planned scheme with Enzo.
- Millie objects initially but caves after Enzo touches her knee and Nico argues that the mantis needs only flightless flies.
- The chapter ends with Millie’s wry thought about Suzette’s likely reaction to the mantis.
Character Development
- Millie: Shows her deep attachment to the new home and her determination to give her children a better life. She balances protectiveness (turtles, praying mantis) with a willingness to compromise when she sees how much the idea means to Nico and Enzo. Her final thought about Suzette hints at a mischievous side and ongoing tension with the neighbor.
- Nico: Playful and persistent, he leverages his mother’s love and his father’s support. His desire for a praying mantis reveals an adventurous, science-minded curiosity that Millie doesn’t share.
- Ada: Quietly anxious about starting school, she clings to her brother for security. Her protectiveness is affirmed when she chooses the bus over a ride with her father.
- Enzo: Supportive of his wife yet eager to indulge the children. His gentle persuasion—a knee squeeze, the shared smile—and his matter-of-fact endorsement of the mantis show him as a co-conspirator with Nico, softening Millie’s resistance.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
- The New House as a Symbol of Renewal: The repeated “christening” ritual marks the family’s fresh start. The kitchen table, large enough for a family sit-down meal, contrasts with their past cramped life in the Bronx.
- Parental Compromise and Sacrifice: Millie agrees to the praying mantis partly because she uprooted her children from their old school and neighborhood. The chapter explores the bargains parents make to ease transitions.
- Protection and Anxiety: Ada’s reluctance to start school and Millie’s fear of insects both stem from a desire to protect loved ones and control the environment. Enzo and Nico’s calm acceptance of the mantis reflects a different, more adventurous approach.
Why This Chapter Matters
This domestic scene establishes the family’s new dynamic in their suburban home and sets up several threads: Ada’s school-related anxiety will likely develop in later chapters, the praying mantis is a comedic but meaningful concession that may have unforeseen consequences, and Millie’s pointed reference to Suzette deepens the underlying tension with the neighbor introduced earlier. The chapter also reinforces Millie’s voice as a loving but overwhelmed mother, grounding the psychological thriller in relatable family life before the suspense escalates.
Study Questions and Answers
1. Why does Millie keep using the word “christen” throughout the day?
Millie is extremely excited about their new house, which represents a major improvement over their old apartment. She uses “christen” playfully to mark each first use of a room or object, underscoring her joy and her need to make the house feel truly theirs.
2. What is Ada’s main concern in this chapter, and how does she cope with it?
Ada is anxious about starting school after spring break, worried she won’t remember anyone. She copes by staying close to her brother, choosing to take the bus with Nico rather than ride with her father. Her guarded behavior—pushing noodles into piles—shows she is nervous but trying to appear composed.
3. What ultimately convinces Millie to allow the praying mantis?
Several factors combine: Enzo’s reassurance and affectionate gesture under the table, Nico’s detailed (and pre-arranged) plan involving flightless flies, and Millie’s own amused image of Suzette’s horror at the insect on the cul-de-sac. She accepts the pet as a way to let the children settle in and because, despite her fear, she cannot resist Enzo and Nico’s teamwork.