I just read BG#14 and I may be overthinking things here, but ... the voice on the phone told her to go into the kitchen and make a sandwich and said "As long as you are obedient there is hope"? Seems like a deadblow hammer full of standard misogynist subc

Excellent analysis.

Here’s the thing, I never write a book without a lot of subtextual content, but subtext is like having a joke or a magic trick explained coldly in broad daylight. It’s something that allows the reader to personalize the experience, in my mind.

There are two things—first, yes, it’s clearly symbolic. But there might also be another purpose (two, actually). Did he want Barbara to calm down? Did he want to delay her? Make her angry? Humiliate her? Did he want her well-fed, did he want her with a knife in her hand? Did he want her to take on a domestic role that clearly doesn’t belong to her?

I promise, whatever answer you come up with, that’s likely the right one. But we will also address it more specifically in issue 16.

Great post!