End of Book Discussion: Secrets [ Edited ]

[Stephanie]

How will the revelation of Esme and Kitty’s secret change Iris’s life? Do you think it will alter her relationships with Luke and Alex?

This thread is suitable for those who have finished the novel. Spoilers for the ending are to be expected.

Message Edited by Stephanie on 10-28-2007 07:32 PM

[Mizzyb]

It just might answer some the questions Iris could have about herself now that she recognizes the entire family gene pool. This time, someone held on to Esme and wouldn't let go.

[Fozzie]

---

Stephanie wrote:
How will the revelation of Esme and Kitty’s secret change Iris’s life? Do you think it will alter her relationships with Luke and Alex?

---

I don't think the revelation of Esme and Kitty's secret will alter Iris' relationship with Luke. Seeing Luke's pregnant wife will be the cause of the end of Iris and Luke's relationship.

I do think Iris' relationship with Alex will change. I think Alex will support Iris through the crisis of Esme murdering Kitty. I think Iris will realize that keeping secrets can be lethal to one's mental health, will acknowledge and accept her true feelings for Alex, and then they will pursue a life as man and woman rather than as brother and sister.

[Stephanie]

Laura,

Well put! That's certainly the outcome I'd like to see, anyway. I got very involved with Iris and Esme- I found them to be the sort of women I would really like to get to know. Esme especially, of course. She was such an enigmatic character - I wanted to ask her, throughout the book, Esme, why didn't you work at getting out of there? Perhaps there were aspects to her mental health that I just chose not to see, but I cannot believe that all those years went by with all the people in that place thinking she was a loon, when she clearly was not. Perhaps she had just learned to play the game, do whatever it took to stay out of the way ...

What do you all think?

[Fozzie]

---

Stephanie wrote:
Perhaps she had just learned to play the game, do whatever it took to stay out of the way ...

What do you all think?

---

That's exactly what I think.

"She shuts her mouth, closes her throat, folds her hands over each other and she does the thing she has perfected. Her specialty. To absent yourself, to make yourself vanish." (pg. 91)

This reminds me of the meaning of the title. I think it is dual. Esme vanishes from society when she is put in Cauldstone, but she also vanishes into her own mind.

[IBIS]

Laura,
I agree with you totally. The title was multi-layered; Esme vanished into Cauldstone, she vanished from her family, she vanished from the staff and fellow-patients at Cauldstone, and she vanished from her true self as well. By denying her own free-spiritedness and personality, she disappeared into a shell.

It was her own self-preservation, a defense mechanism on her part, to stay alive... on multiple levels: physically, emotionally and mentally.

Oh that poor poor woman!

IBIS