Chapter 1 Summary & Analysis – The Things We Never Say
⚠️ 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 in mid-June with Artie Dam saying goodbye to his friend Flossie MacDonald, who is moving to Ohio to live near her daughter. After Flossie leaves, the story jumps to the first week of September. Artie is a fifty-seven-year-old history teacher at a Massachusetts high school. In class he tries to engage eleventh-graders, but they are still subdued three years after the pandemic. He assigns group work on Civil War soldiers. During the lesson, student Danny Marino mimics the walk of another student, Rhonda Lazarre. Artie erupts in anger, telling the class that no one is superior to anyone else. After school, he goes to a party at the Merrills’ house. There he becomes frustrated by the superficial conversation and questions free will. That night at home, the reader learns Artie’s secret: for two months he has been planning his own suicide, but he cannot find a way that will not be discovered. The next morning, Artie goes sailing and returns to find his son, Rob, visiting. Rob announces he is separating from his wife, Francesca, and has met a new woman named Rachel. A plumber arrives—Tom Marino, Danny’s father—who reveals his wife is having an affair. Later, Artie remembers his mother once told him that some mothers drown their children because they think the children would be better off. Alone in bed, Artie concludes he is lonely enough to die. He decides to wait until he is sure Rob’s new partner is good, and then he will leave this life.
Key Events
- In June, Artie has a final dinner with Flossie at Spud’s Bar and Grille before she moves to Ohio.
- On a Friday in September, Artie teaches a class on the Civil War and sharply admonishes Danny Marino for mocking Rhonda Lazarre.
- Artie attends a cocktail party at the Merrills’ house and questions the lack of real conversation among the guests.
- The narrative reveals the family tragedy: Artie and Evie’s son, Rob, crashed a car ten years ago, killing his girlfriend, Heather Morrison.
- Artie has been secretly contemplating suicide for two months, ruling out guns, pills, and car crashes.
- After a vivid dream, Artie wakes on Saturday and remembers a disturbing story his mother told him about drowning children.
- Rob arrives and tells his parents he is divorcing Francesca and has begun a relationship with a social worker named Rachel.
- The plumber, Tom Marino, confesses to Artie that his wife is having an affair.
- That Tuesday night, Artie tells Evie about his mother’s story; later he decides he must kill himself once Rob’s new relationship seems stable.
Character Development
Artie Dam – Outwardly the jolly, beloved teacher; inwardly he is deeply lonely and secretly suicidal. The chapter shows the enormous gap between his public persona and his private despair. His anger in class reveals his protective nature toward vulnerable students, while his refusal to accept praise for being named Teacher of the Year hints at his low self-worth.
Evie Dam – Artie’s wife is pragmatic, somewhat dismissive of Artie’s emotional needs, and unaware of his inner life. She comes from a wealthy Brahmin family and has never fully understood Artie’s background or his sensitivities. Her reaction to Artie’s memory of his mother shows her emotional exhaustion.
Rob Dam – The son carries immense shame from the accident. He appears to be finding new hope through his separation from Francesca and his relationship with Rachel. The narrative suggests he has things he wants to tell his father but cannot.
Flossie MacDonald – A loud, loving woman who was Artie’s true confidante. Her departure deepens his isolation.
Danny Marino – A student whose cruel mockery provokes Artie’s outburst. His first-day essay (“People suck”) signals his own anger and pain.
Rhonda Lazarre – An awkward, kind-hearted student who adores Artie without knowing he defended her.
Tom Marino – The plumber and Danny’s father, whose anguish over his wife’s affair mirrors Artie’s hidden suffering.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
Loneliness The chapter’s central theme. Artie’s loneliness accumulates after Flossie leaves; he feels unable to connect with Evie or his son. The book he recalls (Olive Kitteridge or similar) states that “People die of loneliness,” and Artie agrees.
The mask of joviality Artie’s nickname “Jolly Artie” is a performance. He can joke with students and neighbors while planning his death. The chapter emphasizes the disparity between appearance and reality.
Free will versus determinism Artie repeatedly questions whether people have free will. This intellectual obsession parallels his feeling that suicide is the only choice he can truly make, yet even that choice seems preordained.
The weight of tragedy The car accident ten years ago reshaped Artie, Evie, and Rob. Artie has never fully processed his anger or grief, and the accident left a permanent fracture in the family.
The natural world The calm bay, the red-topped tree, the sailing—these offer beauty but also contrast with Artie’s inner turmoil. The sea, in particular, becomes his planned escape.
Parenting and shame Both Artie and Tom are fathers who feel shame over their sons: Artie over Rob’s past, Tom over Danny’s knowledge of his mother’s affair. The chapter explores how parents carry burdens they cannot share.
Why This Chapter Matters
As the opening chapter, it establishes the central dramatic question: Will Artie Dam carry out his suicide? It introduces his relationships, his past, and the social world of the novel. The chapter also sets up key tensions: the gap between public and private self, the failure of communication in marriage, and the lingering effects of tragedy. The arrival of Rob’s new relationship offers a glimmer of hope that may yet alter Artie’s decision.
Study Questions and Answers
1. Why does Artie become so angry when Danny mimics Rhonda?
Artie has a special affection for vulnerable students like Rhonda. Years of teaching have made him protective, and his own sensitivity to shame—perhaps from his working-class background—makes him react fiercely to any display of superiority. The outburst also reflects his suppressed anger about his own life.
2. How does the plumber’s confession affect Artie’s state of mind?
Tom’s pain and his comment about Danny knowing the affair unsettle Artie. It reminds him of his own son’s knowledge of the accident and reinforces Artie’s sense of isolation. The encounter deepens his empathy but also his despair, as he sees another man enduring a hidden agony.
3. What role does the memory of Artie’s mother play in the chapter?
The memory of his mother saying that some mothers drown their children because they think the children would be better off foreshadows Artie’s own suicidal reasoning. It suggests that he has internalized a belief that death can be a relief, and it connects his current loneliness to his childhood experience of his mother’s mental illness.