Leaving Time
Chapter 15: Serenity
by Picoult, JodiThe chapter “Serenity” explores themes of protective instinct and hidden violence through a tense confrontation. The narrator reflects on hysterical strength—extraordinary acts of power triggered by adrenaline in life-threatening situations—citing examples like a mother lifting a car to save her child. This concept becomes reality when Thomas Metcalf strikes his daughter Jenna, prompting the narrator to instinctively shield her. The moment reveals a maternal protectiveness the narrator didn’t know they possessed, while Virgil, another character, reacts with equal fury, physically restraining Thomas. The scene underscores the unpredictable nature of human behavior under stress.
The aftermath of the attack leaves Jenna and the narrator shaken, with Jenna visibly distressed and the narrator experiencing somatic intuition—a physical reaction to the room’s oppressive energy. The narrator, once skilled at sensing emotional undercurrents, perceives a disturbing aura around Thomas. Virgil’s agitation grows, and he storms out, unable to contain his anger. Jenna, meanwhile, stares at her father as if seeing him anew, hinting at a fractured relationship. The nurse suggests sedation for Thomas, allowing Jenna and the narrator to leave, though the emotional weight of the encounter lingers.
Outside, Virgil reveals a darker truth: Thomas has a history of domestic violence, suggesting Jenna’s mother, Alice, might have fled to protect herself. This revelation clashes with Jenna’s belief in her parents’ happy marriage. A phone call confirms that Alice’s DNA was found near Nevvie Ruehl’s body, complicating the narrative. Jenna oscillates between frustration and disbelief, questioning Virgil’s shifting theories—whether her mother was a killer or a victim. Virgil speculates Thomas might have attacked Alice, leading to Nevvie’s accidental death, but Jenna dismisses the idea as implausible.
The chapter ends with unresolved tension, leaving Jenna’s mother’s fate ambiguous. The narrator privately wonders if Alice is a trapped spirit, haunted by guilt. Jenna’s sarcasm and Virgil’s dogged pursuit of answers highlight the emotional toll of uncovering painful truths. The confrontation with Thomas exposes buried family trauma, forcing Jenna to reconsider her past. The chapter masterfully blends physical drama with psychological depth, leaving readers questioning who is truly responsible for the violence—and whether the answers lie in the living or the dead.
FAQs
1. What is “hysterical strength” as discussed in the chapter, and how does it relate to the narrator’s actions with Jenna?
Answer:
Hysterical strength refers to extraordinary physical feats performed in life-or-death situations, often triggered by adrenaline. The chapter introduces this concept through examples like Angela Cavallo lifting a car to save her son. The narrator connects this to their own sudden, protective reaction when Thomas Metcalf strikes Jenna—describing how they instinctively shoved Thomas away and caught Jenna “against all principles of space and gravity.” This mirrors hysterical strength, as the narrator acts beyond normal physical limits due to the high-stress scenario and emotional urgency to protect Jenna.2. How does Virgil’s revelation about Thomas Metcalf’s potential violence toward Alice change Jenna’s perspective on her mother’s disappearance?
Answer:
Virgil reveals that Thomas may have been abusive toward Alice, citing evidence from the investigation and Thomas’s outburst calling Alice a “fucking bitch.” This leads Jenna to consider that her mother might have fled to protect herself, unrelated to Nevvie Ruehl’s death. However, Jenna remains conflicted, pointing out that this theory doesn’t explain why Alice never returned for her. The new information shifts Jenna’s focus from her mother as a possible perpetrator to her mother as a potential victim, complicating her understanding of the past.3. Analyze the significance of the narrator’s “somatic intuition” in this chapter. How does it influence their perception of Thomas Metcalf?
Answer:
The narrator describes “somatic intuition” as a physical sensitivity to environmental energy, likening it to sensing “heavy air” or sudden chills. They use this ability to assess Thomas Metcalf’s room, feeling nauseous and detecting “weird shit swirling around” him. This intuition reinforces the chapter’s tension, suggesting Thomas harbors dark, unresolved emotions. It also underscores the narrator’s role as an empath, adding a supernatural layer to their interactions and hinting that Thomas’s instability may have deeper, perhaps spiritual, roots tied to his past actions.4. How does the mitochondrial DNA evidence complicate the investigation into Nevvie Ruehl’s death?
Answer:
Virgil reveals that Jenna’s DNA matches hair found near Nevvie’s body, confirming Alice’s presence at the scene. This contradicts Jenna’s hope that her mother was uninvolved. However, Virgil proposes an alternative: Thomas might have attacked Alice, causing her to flee into the elephant enclosure, where Nevvie was accidentally killed. The DNA thus creates ambiguity—it places Alice at the scene but doesn’t prove guilt. Jenna’s frustration reflects this complexity, as the evidence neither fully implicates nor exonerates her mother, leaving the truth unresolved.5. Evaluate Jenna’s emotional state after the confrontation with her father. What conflicting emotions does she exhibit, and why?
Answer:
Jenna oscillates between shock, anger, and grief. Initially, she defends her father’s character (“My dad isn’t violent”), but his slap and Virgil’s revelations force her to confront his instability. Her sarcastic remark about elephants being “trained” to trample Nevvie reveals defiance, masking deeper pain. She struggles to reconcile her idealized image of her parents with the emerging truth—that her father may be abusive and her mother may have abandoned her. The physical injury (her swollen cheek) mirrors her emotional wounds, highlighting her vulnerability beneath her tough exterior.
Quotes
1. “I’ve got you,” I tell her fiercely, and I realize I mean it, in every interpretation. I am not a mother, but maybe that’s what I’m supposed to be right now for this girl.”
This moment captures the protagonist’s unexpected protective instinct toward Jenna, transcending her usual role. It marks a turning point where emotional connection overrides detachment, reflecting the chapter’s theme of human bonds in crisis.
2. “Have you ever felt like the air was too heavy or gotten an inexplicable chill? That’s somatic intuition.”
The narrator defines this psychic phenomenon while describing her reaction to Thomas Metcalf’s energy. This quote is significant as it blends supernatural elements with visceral human experience, a recurring motif in the story.
3. “You don’t call the love of your life a fucking bitch,” Virgil says frankly.”
Virgil’s blunt statement challenges Jenna’s idealized view of her parents’ marriage. This pivotal quote introduces the theme of hidden domestic violence and reshapes Jenna’s understanding of her family history.
4. “Maybe Thomas went after Alice, and she ran into the enclosure to escape… Feeling guilty about a murder is a pretty good trigger to lose your grasp on reality and wind up in an institution…”
This quote presents Virgil’s evolving theory about the central mystery. It synthesizes earlier clues while introducing new psychological complexity to Thomas Metcalf’s institutionalization.
5. “She’s stuck. I still don’t know if Alice Metcalf is dead, but she is certainly acting the way an earthbound spirit would—like a ghost who’s afraid of being judged for her behavior while living.”
The narrator’s psychic insight about Alice’s possible fate blends supernatural speculation with emotional truth. This quote encapsulates the chapter’s tension between rational investigation and metaphysical possibility.