A Flicker in the Dark

The opening paragraphs of Chapter 48 describe the beautiful weather and the importance of what would have been Chloe and Daniel’s wedding day. Willingham misleads the reader to believe that Chloe’s story ends with her marriage to Daniel. However, rather than relying on a marriage to symbolize a new chapter in Chloe’s life and her healing from the horrific events of the novel, Willingham focuses on Chloe’s individual development separate from a male partner, supporting the theme of Women’s Empowerment. Daniel does not appear aside from his voice calling from another room. Instead, Chloe meets Daniel’s sister Sophie for the first time and returns her wedding ring to her. A family heirloom, Sophie’s wedding ring symbolizes the traditional path toward stability that Chloe previously sought out earlier in the novel.