Chapter 35: Trapped and Gaslit

⚠️ 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

Amy attempts to leave the psychiatric unit using the code she watched Dr. Beck enter that morning, but the door emits only a soft buzz and will not unlock. Will, who accompanied her, suggests she may have the wrong code. Amy decides to ask Ramona, the night nurse, about the blood she and Will saw on the floor near Seclusion Two. When Amy finds Ramona emerging from the staff bathroom, Ramona denies any blood and explains she mopped up strawberry jelly left by patient Miguel. Ramona laughs off Amy's concern and advises her to get sleep. Amy then asks to be let out for fresh air, but Ramona tells her the fuse blew, resetting the door code and knocking out the phones. They are now trapped on the unit until the morning crew arrives. Amy hides her true intention to flee and feels a deepening dread about surviving the night.

Key Events

Amy punches in the code 347244 but only hears a soft buzzing; the door does not open.
Will questions the code and warns Amy not to let Ramona gaslight her.
Amy confronts Ramona, who claims the red substance on the floor was strawberry jelly, not blood.
Ramona informs Amy that a blown fuse has reset the door code and disabled the phones.
Amy realizes she cannot escape and must remain on Ward D until morning.
The chapter ends with Amy's silent fear that she might not make it through the night.

Character Development

Amy: Grows increasingly desperate and paranoid. Her plan to escape collapses, and she is forced to confront the possibility that she may be misinterpreting events. Her trust in Ramona wavers even as she outwardly accepts the nurse's explanation.
Will: Reinforces his paranoid diagnosis by accusing Ramona of gaslighting. He stands by his perception of the blood, creating a split between his reliability and the unit's official story.
Ramona: Shows a calm, almost cheerful demeanor that contrasts with the tension. By dismissing Amy's worries and attributing the mess to jelly, she either protects the unit's routine or actively obscures the truth. Her explanation about the fuse may be genuine or a deliberate cover to trap everyone inside.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Gaslighting and Reality: Ramona's casual redefinition of blood as strawberry jelly forces Amy to doubt her own senses. The theme of gaslighting—making someone question their sanity—is central, echoing the book's exploration of perception and mental illness.
Confinement and Powerlessness: The failed door code and blown fuse transform Ward D from a monitored treatment space into an inescapable prison. Amy's inability to leave mirrors her psychological entrapment.
Blood vs. Jelly Motif: The ambiguous substance on the floor symbolises the difficulty of distinguishing objective reality from subjective interpretation. Its sudden disappearance raises questions about who is manipulating the environment.

Why This Chapter Matters

Chapter 35 raises the stakes significantly. Amy's last hope of escape is eliminated, forcing her to remain in a volatile environment. Ramona's explanation deepens the mystery: either the incident was mundane, or an elaborate cover story is underway. The chapter solidifies feelings of paranoia and isolation, setting the stage for the climax by trapping all characters together with no outside communication.

Study Questions and Answers

1. Why does the door code fail when Amy tries it? The fuse blew, causing the door system to reset. Ramona says the code no longer works and the phones are also down.

2. How does Ramona explain the red substance on the floor? She says it was strawberry jelly left by the patient Miguel, not blood. She cleaned it up with a mop before Amy saw her.

3. What evidence in this chapter suggests Amya may be correct about the blood, and what suggests she might be mistaken? Evidence for blood: Will also saw it and warns Amy about gaslighting; Amy was certain it flowed from under the seclusion room door. Evidence against: Ramona's consistent story and the absence of any physical trace; Amy is sleep-deprived and under stress, which could cause her to misinterpret jelly as blood.