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Annabel Joseph
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Cari
I do believe that Alex gathers what's left of her energy and wits, after the accident, to go to Simon's party. The narration becomes disjointed at this point because she's finally coming undone: first by the realization that Jack was not going to save her and then by the injuries she's likely sustained in the crash.
As readers, we know she has been deluding herself thinking that Simon will take her back. Their final scene together (when he sends her back to the city) is clearly a goodbye and he never calls her again. Simon wanted a pretty, docile, young girl by his side to make him feel young again and to add to his image of a successful man. Alex refuses to see that her careless and indiscreet flirting at Helen's party humiliated Simon in unforgivable ways. Not only did Alex expose the sham of a marriage of their hostess but also appear openly to be interested in younger men. Both of these things are of course no secret, but the game played in Simon's social circle is to pretend. Simon had no use for someone who would cause unpleasantness and not be the perfect accessory on display.
Knowing this, it was easy to imagine how it would go for Alex at the party, long before the day came. There would be no loving reunion, because there had never been any affection (as judged by Simon's cold dismissal more of a layoff than a breakup). Simon would not cause a scene but would also make it clear she was no longer welcome. That was before she actually showed up in a wrinkled silk dress full of stains, (with a string of crimes and misdemeanors trailing her) to tamper with his carefully curated image once again.
Alex has always been in motion, leaving one thing to dive into another to avoid facing any consequences. But when she sees that Simon will not even acknowledge her, she has to admit this is the end, "now." Now her self-delusion about Simon is finally shattered, now Dom is waiting for her at the station and when she doesn't show up knows where to find her, now Jack may be injured or worse, and his family will be on her trail. There is nowhere else to go and no immediate future evasion to run to. She will either be arrested or killed by Dom. She may even be sustaining life threatening injuries.
Simon will not want to implicated in the least but ironically, with his revolving door of easily replaced, transactional, pretty young girls, he will have brought all this to his doorstep.
As readers, we know she has been deluding herself thinking that Simon will take her back. Their final scene together (when he sends her back to the city) is clearly a goodbye and he never calls her again. Simon wanted a pretty, docile, young girl by his side to make him feel young again and to add to his image of a successful man. Alex refuses to see that her careless and indiscreet flirting at Helen's party humiliated Simon in unforgivable ways. Not only did Alex expose the sham of a marriage of their hostess but also appear openly to be interested in younger men. Both of these things are of course no secret, but the game played in Simon's social circle is to pretend. Simon had no use for someone who would cause unpleasantness and not be the perfect accessory on display.
Knowing this, it was easy to imagine how it would go for Alex at the party, long before the day came. There would be no loving reunion, because there had never been any affection (as judged by Simon's cold dismissal more of a layoff than a breakup). Simon would not cause a scene but would also make it clear she was no longer welcome. That was before she actually showed up in a wrinkled silk dress full of stains, (with a string of crimes and misdemeanors trailing her) to tamper with his carefully curated image once again.
Alex has always been in motion, leaving one thing to dive into another to avoid facing any consequences. But when she sees that Simon will not even acknowledge her, she has to admit this is the end, "now." Now her self-delusion about Simon is finally shattered, now Dom is waiting for her at the station and when she doesn't show up knows where to find her, now Jack may be injured or worse, and his family will be on her trail. There is nowhere else to go and no immediate future evasion to run to. She will either be arrested or killed by Dom. She may even be sustaining life threatening injuries.
Simon will not want to implicated in the least but ironically, with his revolving door of easily replaced, transactional, pretty young girls, he will have brought all this to his doorstep.
Danielle
My impression was that she was delirious after suffering a concussion in the car accident, and was walking around a stranger's party, thinking it was Simon's. That's why no one seemed to recognize her, and she wasn't 100% sure of who anyone was.
Michael Mustizer
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Frances Petrites
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Nic
I am extremely surprised to not see my perspective echoed anywhere.
During the first party, when she jumps into the pool with Victor, Simon calls to her to get out of the pool. But, she doesn't. Too slow. It's this moment, at least to Alex, that begins the descent into everything that comes next. (It's also where Emma Cline chooses to end the chapter, take that as you will!)
"'Want to come on out of there, Alex?'" Simon said. ...But still, she floated for a second too long, waited a second too long before she slogged toward the steps, before she pulled herself out." (55)
Whether or not any of the other theories are correct (Dom is behind her, she has a traumatic head injury, she is a ghost and he is looking through her, whatever), doesn't really matter to me. I don't think the actual words on the page support any of these theories as empirically correct. But I do believe she's right back to where she started when the trouble began.
Floating, a second too long.
During the first party, when she jumps into the pool with Victor, Simon calls to her to get out of the pool. But, she doesn't. Too slow. It's this moment, at least to Alex, that begins the descent into everything that comes next. (It's also where Emma Cline chooses to end the chapter, take that as you will!)
"'Want to come on out of there, Alex?'" Simon said. ...But still, she floated for a second too long, waited a second too long before she slogged toward the steps, before she pulled herself out." (55)
Whether or not any of the other theories are correct (Dom is behind her, she has a traumatic head injury, she is a ghost and he is looking through her, whatever), doesn't really matter to me. I don't think the actual words on the page support any of these theories as empirically correct. But I do believe she's right back to where she started when the trouble began.
Floating, a second too long.
Daisy Steel
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Tracey Curtis
I was puzzled by the ending,too. But reading all these creative imaginings from other readers has helped a lot. I've nothing to add. Thanks for all their input! I'm going to upgrade my stars after reading these.
Jane
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Erik Steiner
Absolutely terrible ending.
Daisy is right, everything builds up to this big ending but then...nearly nothing.
The best most reasonable explanation is that most of the story is a dream, or delusional in some way, but there isn't enough to go on.
Daisy is right, everything builds up to this big ending but then...nearly nothing.
The best most reasonable explanation is that most of the story is a dream, or delusional in some way, but there isn't enough to go on.
Judith
It's a psychic break. She stumbles away from the scene of the accident, disoriented & lost, but begins to imagine herself at Simon's party, shunned & about to be thrown out, & loses what little grip she had on reality.
Anne R
I totally agree with Annabel, that Alex was about to be apprehended/arrested. She certainly deserves to go to jail for the multiple horribly immoral things she did. It actually wouldn’t be the worst thing for her, it would protect her from Dom and Jack, and maybe she could actually grow a conscience.
donna
I am right there with you. Is she dead? People seem to see and talk to her so I am completely confused.
Juliana Maria
I have a theory that I haven’t seen anywhere so far.
First off: my medical knowledge is fairly limited
but..
My initial feeling was that Alex might be paralyzed after the crash?
Here are the hints/quotes..
Directly after the crash: “Alex could not, for a moment, move. […] The prickles began at her spine. […] Move, she thought, her eyes rolling around in her skull. Move. […] She stood there, outside the car, her knees locking.”
— it is obvious there’s some trauma to her nervous system. Her body not acting quite right, not usual. Her control of it is meagre.
„Alex was holding her breath — she realized when she started to feel light-headed.“
— difficulty breathing, a symptom/warning sign
When she started to walk to Simon's: „just keep walking, even though she could feel something wasn’t right, her neck too tight, something off in her gait.“
Among other remarks about her fleeting sight: “Everything seemed starkly outlined and seemed to hover a little in her field of vision. Her hands were shaking. […] Her left eye seemed to throb.”
At the party: “She swallowed hard. The wine coated her throat unpleasantly.”
— difficulty swallowing, possible symptom/warning sign
And finally, of course: “all she had to do was walk over. Now, she told herself, willing her limbs to work. She didn’t move. Now.”
Am I crazy or would her being paralyzed make so much sense?
Even though it is extremely rare, it is possible for a paralysis to set in minutes up to multiple months after the initial spinal cord injury from the car crash.
If any doc reads this, I am totally open to criticism or validation, ha ha.
I must say that I am not sure how I would find this ending. What would it tell us about the story. Is it even a consequence that is related to ANY of her actions? I guess not. But I just can’t shake the thought of this theory and its proof.
First off: my medical knowledge is fairly limited
but..
My initial feeling was that Alex might be paralyzed after the crash?
Here are the hints/quotes..
Directly after the crash: “Alex could not, for a moment, move. […] The prickles began at her spine. […] Move, she thought, her eyes rolling around in her skull. Move. […] She stood there, outside the car, her knees locking.”
— it is obvious there’s some trauma to her nervous system. Her body not acting quite right, not usual. Her control of it is meagre.
„Alex was holding her breath — she realized when she started to feel light-headed.“
— difficulty breathing, a symptom/warning sign
When she started to walk to Simon's: „just keep walking, even though she could feel something wasn’t right, her neck too tight, something off in her gait.“
Among other remarks about her fleeting sight: “Everything seemed starkly outlined and seemed to hover a little in her field of vision. Her hands were shaking. […] Her left eye seemed to throb.”
At the party: “She swallowed hard. The wine coated her throat unpleasantly.”
— difficulty swallowing, possible symptom/warning sign
And finally, of course: “all she had to do was walk over. Now, she told herself, willing her limbs to work. She didn’t move. Now.”
Am I crazy or would her being paralyzed make so much sense?
Even though it is extremely rare, it is possible for a paralysis to set in minutes up to multiple months after the initial spinal cord injury from the car crash.
If any doc reads this, I am totally open to criticism or validation, ha ha.
I must say that I am not sure how I would find this ending. What would it tell us about the story. Is it even a consequence that is related to ANY of her actions? I guess not. But I just can’t shake the thought of this theory and its proof.
Amelia Elliot
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Joe Milner
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Audrey Bentham
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Agent Smith
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Agent Smith
I am Agent Smith, a personal agent at; MIAMI HEAT BASKETBALL TEAM. We are looking for young basketball players. I have been charged with the task of searching for talents to make super stars. Do you want to be a basketballer, do you want to be rich and famous? Do you want to be a super and mega star with influence and with respect, then this is your opportunity to be one. We are searching for young and potential talents to make world class stars to take the team to the next and higher level. Contact us now on; Agentofmiamiheat@gmail.com
Emilia
I think she was alive, went to Simon's party disheveled, and now realises she is stuck with no where left to run. Either she talks to Simon and realises there's no way out or she leaves from shame or she falls in the pool and dies from her injuries from the accident. I don't think Dom is there, or that she's already dead, or any other theories. I think what is happening on the page is true but she waits too long to talk to Simon and is back at the beginning where she's in the pool for too long.
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