The Intruder Chapter 33: Casey Choices

⚠️ 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

Casey gives Eleanor an oversize T-shirt to sleep in and notices the girl’s extreme thinness. While Eleanor is in the bathroom, Casey decides to search the backpack Eleanor left in the bedroom. Inside the larger pouch she finds clothing and a washcloth drenched in dark red liquid. She then opens the smaller pouch, finding a cigarette lighter and a green notebook. Before she can open the notebook, Eleanor calls for her, so Casey quickly zips the bag and hides the notebook under the sofa cushions. When Eleanor asks for a bandage, Casey sees an abrasion on her arm and, while cleaning it, notices a bruise in the shape of fingers on Eleanor’s upper arm. Casey offers that if someone is hurting her, she doesn’t have to go back. Eleanor replies that bad people get what’s coming to them and asks Casey if she believes that. Casey says everything happens as it should, and Eleanor calls her “very stupid” before going to the bedroom. Casey still has the notebook.

Key Events

Casey gives Eleanor a T-shirt to wear and notes how thin the girl is.
Casey searches Eleanor’s backpack while she is in the bathroom.
She finds a blood-soaked washcloth and a green notebook.
Eleanor asks for a bandage; Casey treats a scrape and sees a finger-shaped bruise on her arm.
Eleanor reveals she never knew her father and says bad people get what they deserve.
Casey answers that everything happens as it should; Eleanor calls her stupid and closes herself in the bedroom.
Casey has hidden Eleanor’s notebook under the sofa cushions.

Character Development

Casey: Torn between wanting to gain Eleanor’s trust and needing to know the truth. She grieves her father and wishes she could ask him for advice. Her decision to take the notebook shows she is willing to risk trust for answers.
Eleanor: Begins to drop small pieces of personal information (no father, belief in cosmic justice). Her jaded responses and guarded body language suggest deep trauma and a possible plan.
The father figure is evoked through the painting and Casey’s grief, highlighting her isolation and need for guidance.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Trust vs. suspicion: Casey’s internal struggle when searching the backpack illustrates the central conflict of the chapter.
Abuse and neglect: The thinness, bruise in the shape of fingers, and the blood on the washcloth point to physical abuse.
Justice: Eleanor’s question about bad people getting what they deserve introduces a moral dilemma. Casey’s vague answer (“everything happens as it should”) contrasts with Eleanor’s more vindictive view.
Family and abandonment: The painting of two birds given by Casey’s father; Eleanor’s absent father; Casey’s loss of her father.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter deepens the mystery of Eleanor’s past and her intentions. The discovery of the bloody washcloth and the notebook provides concrete evidence that Eleanor is involved in something violent. Casey’s decision to hide the notebook raises the stakes: she now has information Eleanor doesn’t know she has. Eleanor’s final words (“you’re very stupid”) hint that she may be manipulating Casey or that Casey’s trust in fate is misplaced.

Study Questions and Answers

1. Why does Casey hesitate before searching Eleanor’s backpack?
She worries about losing Eleanor’s trust if caught, and she fears finding something horrific like a decapitated head. Ultimately, her need for answers wins over caution.

2. What does the finger-shaped bruise on Eleanor’s arm suggest?
The bruise is unmistakably in the shape of fingers, indicating someone grabbed her with force. Combined with the thinness, cigarette burns, and blood, it strongly suggests physical abuse.

3. How does the conversation about “bad people” advance the plot?
Eleanor’s question shows she believes in retribution and possibly that she is carrying out justice. Casey’s vague answer does not satisfy her, and Eleanor calls her stupid, breaking the fragile trust. This confrontation raises tension and sets up a possible confrontation.