66 pages • 2 hours read
Margaret AtwoodA modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides that feature detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, quotes, and essay topics.
Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Tony dreams of herself as a young girl sitting at a piano. Her mother offers her an egg that she must protect. She sees West with a suitcase, mouthing forever, and then Zenia appears, a slashing wound across her throat that heals itself. She and West leave together, and the room is suddenly aflame.
Charis dreams of her spirit floating free of her body, across the bay into a hotel room where Zenia sits in front of a mirror. Their bodies merge, and Charis sees the world through Zenia’s eyes in a dark, X-ray vision. Billy appears, older and fragile. Behind her, the universe is laid bare, with souls drifting through space seeking atonement.
Roz dreams she is walking through a snowy forest barefoot. Scattered along the path are discarded remnants of people’s lives. The path leads deeper into the forest. She’s not afraid, though, because she comes upon her garden and her house. She enters, but the house is empty, unlived in. She wonders, Where are the children? She goes upstairs and hears the shower running. She assumes it's Mitch, but a man blocks the bathroom door. Orange light pours from his mouth, a sacred heart burns in his chest, and he utters nun.
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