Chapter 28 (Chapter 27) – “Chapter 27” Summary and 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

Hagar lays salt across all door thresholds of the Home to protect against the witch. Fern is terrified but the salt seems to hold through the night. After dark, Fern hears knocking and rattling from the front door. Nurse Kent retrieves a small pistol and orders Fern to accompany her downstairs to call the police, but the phone line is dead. While Nurse Kent tries to cover both doors, the knocking begins on all sides of the house—front door, side door, windows. Finally, Fern snaps open the front door; Nurse Kent rushes out with her gun but finds nothing. The police arrive and leave a squad car. The next morning, Hagar gives Fern, Zinnia, and Holly red felt pouches to wear that she says will hide them from the witch. Fern worries that she will soon have to leave the safety of the salt lines for the hospital. The chapter ends with Fern feeling the pouch is too flimsy to keep out a witch.

Key Events

Hagar pours salt along all doorways and warns the girls to sweep it up before Miss Wellwood sees it.
Night falls; Fern shares a bed with Zinnia and finally falls asleep.
Fern wakes to the sound of knocking from downstairs; other girls gather at the top of the stairs.
Nurse Kent retrieves a small pistol and asks Fern to accompany her to call the police; the phone line is dead.
Knocking begins on multiple doors and windows at once, surrounding them.
Fern opens the front door in panic; Nurse Kent charges outside but sees nothing.
Police arrive, search the grounds, and leave a car in the driveway.
Next morning, Hagar gives Fern, Holly, and Zinnia red felt pouches that she says will hide them from the witch.

Character Development

Fern: Her fear escalates to the breaking point. She hesitates to open the door but eventually does so out of sheer panic. She is keenly aware of being singled out by Nurse Kent. Her trust in protective measures (salt, pouches) wavers.
Nurse Kent: Shows surprising courage—she retrieves a pistol, volunteers to go downstairs, and stations herself at the top of the stairs with a gun all night. Yet her hands shake, revealing her own terror.
Hagar: Maintains her gruff, dismissive attitude but acts protectively by reinforcing the salt line and later providing the pouches. She explicitly tells the girls this is the last time she will help them.
Zinnia and Holly: Remain relatively composed. Zinnia tries to reassure Fern; Holly huddles between them in bed. They accept Hagar’s protective charms without complaint.
The other girls (Ginger, Jasmine, Willow, Violet): Show a mix of fear and excitement, treating the siege like a campfire story. Willow breaks down crying; Violet is annoyed.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs Actually Evidenced Here

Salt as a boundary: Hagar’s salt line is presented as a supernatural barrier that “nothing unnatural” can cross. Fern’s doubt (“It doesn’t look like it can keep out a witch”) undercuts the homespun magic.
The telephone as a lifeline: The dead phone line isolates the women completely, reinforcing their helplessness and the gothic atmosphere.
The red pouch as a talisman: A new protective object given by Hagar, meant to hide the wearer from the witch’s senses. Fern’s final thought—that the pouch feels too small—echoes her earlier doubt about the salt.
Collective fear vs. individual compulsion: The other girls treat the danger as a game; Fern alone feels the witch is coming for her. This drives her to act impulsively.
Surrounded by knocking: The multi-directional knocking creates a sense of being cornered, with no safe exit. This parallels Fern’s emotional state as she feels “backed up to the edge of a cliff.”

Why This Chapter Matters

Chapter 28 (Chapter 27) is the climax of the supernatural siege in the Home. It confirms that the witch—or something that mimics her—can reach the girls even inside the salt-protected house. Fern’s choice to open the door (even under duress) breaks the stalemate but reveals nothing. The chapter also sets up the next phase: Fern must leave the Home for the hospital, where she will be vulnerable. Hagar’s gift of the pouches provides a new line of defense, but its flimsiness hints that more drastic measures may be needed. The chapter deepens the tension and reinforces Fern’s isolation—she is the target, and she knows it.

Study Questions and Answers

1. How does the author create suspense during the knocking sequence?
The knocking is described in short, repetitive lines (knock-knock-knock, BANG! BANG! BANG!) with no visual explanation. The sound comes from multiple directions, and the characters are shown reacting in real time—Nurse Kent spinning, Fern backing into the wall. This sensory overload plus the lack of a visible cause keeps the reader uncertain whether the threat is real or psychological.

2. What does Fern’s decision to open the front door reveal about her state of mind?
Fern opens the door out of urgent panic. She cannot endure the relentless knocking from all sides; she feels she “had to make it stop.” This impulsive act shows she is psychologically cornered and willing to risk exposure to end the assault—even though doing so could invite the witch inside. It underscores her growing desperation.

3. How does Hagar’s attitude toward the girls change in this chapter, and what might it foreshadow?
Hagar is openly weary and says the salt lines are “the last I do for you.” She provides the pouches but warns she will not make more. This suggests that Hagar’s protective role is ending, leaving the girls—especially Fern—to face the witch on their own. Combined with Fern’s upcoming hospital visit, the chapter hints that the supernatural conflict will soon move beyond the Home’s salt lines.