Leaving Time
Chapter 11: Serenity
by Picoult, JodiThe chapter “Serenity” explores the narrator’s complex relationship with her psychic abilities and the profound grief following her mother’s death. Despite achieving fame and success as a psychic, the narrator couldn’t foresee her mother’s terminal illness. She describes showering her mother with luxuries—a Malibu bungalow, celebrity encounters, and extravagant gifts—yet these couldn’t shield her from the pain of watching her mother wither away. The loss left her emotionally shattered, forcing her to mask her despair behind a public persona of happiness and success.
After her mother’s passing, the narrator’s understanding of grief deepened, making her more empathetic to others seeking closure through her readings. Despite connecting countless spirits to their loved ones, she received no communication from her own mother for years. This absence fueled her desperation until one day, her mother appeared vividly in her car—healthy and smiling, as she remembered her from childhood. The vision was fleeting but transformative, leading the narrator to believe spirits choose how they wish to be remembered, not just how they’re recognized.
The encounter also sparked introspection about her own skepticism and the nature of the paranormal. Though she initially doubted her sanity, the realism of the vision convinced her of its authenticity. Yet, over time, doubt resurfaced, mirroring the skepticism she once dismissed. The chapter juxtaposes her earlier certainty with her current uncertainty, highlighting the fragility of belief—even for a professional psychic.
The narrative shifts to a mundane yet symbolic moment at a tech store, where the narrator’s frustration with a dismissive Gen Y employee mirrors her broader disillusionment. She muses that rudeness might stem from past-life trauma, like reincarnated Vietnam soldiers. This scene underscores her struggle to reconcile her psychic identity with her fading connection to the spirit world, leaving her questioning her purpose and credibility.
FAQs
1. How did the narrator’s experience with her mother’s death change her approach to being a psychic?
Answer:
The narrator’s mother’s death profoundly impacted her psychic practice by giving her a visceral understanding of grief. While she had previously helped others connect with deceased loved ones, she now truly comprehended the desperate need to “sew shut the gap” left by loss. This made her more empathetic, yet ironically, despite being a celebrated psychic, she couldn’t receive any messages from her own mother for three years. The experience humbled her and deepened her professional insight, though it also left her personally frustrated until her mother’s brief apparition (paragraphs 3-4, 7-8).2. Analyze the significance of the mother’s appearance in the car. What does this reveal about the narrator’s beliefs about spirits?
Answer:
The mother’s appearance—healthy and strong, not as she looked at death—led the narrator to a key realization: spirits manifest in the form they choose to be remembered, not necessarily how they last appeared alive. This contrasts with her earlier assumption that spirits took familiar forms solely for recognition by the living. The vision’s solidity (not ghostly) also reinforced her belief in the reality of paranormal experiences, though it didn’t resolve her later doubts. This moment became a philosophical touchstone for her understanding of spiritual identity (paragraphs 9, 14-15).3. How does the narrator’s interaction with the Genius Bar employee reflect her broader worldview?
Answer:
The encounter showcases the narrator’s blend of humor, frustration, and spiritual theories. She interprets the employee’s rudeness through her reincarnation beliefs, suggesting Gen Y’s entitlement stems from past lives as Vietnam soldiers “still pissed” about their deaths. This reflects her tendency to weave paranormal explanations into everyday experiences, even as she grapples with skepticism. The scene also contrasts her current struggles (financial woes, failed psychic abilities) with her earlier success, highlighting her ironic self-awareness (paragraphs 17-20, 23-25).4. Why does the narrator’s skepticism about her own abilities emerge, and how does she reconcile it?
Answer:
Her skepticism grows from the contradiction between her public persona (a “successful psychic”) and her private failures—especially being unable to contact her mother or other spirits later. She acknowledges doubt as natural, even healthy (“Skeptics keep the swamp witches at bay”), but struggles to reconcile it with her car vision. Ultimately, she doesn’t fully reconcile it; the chapter ends with her mocking herself, suggesting she now questions both her gifts and her earlier certainty (paragraphs 12, 16, 21-22).5. How does the author use contrasts to develop the narrator’s character in this chapter?
Answer:
Sharp contrasts highlight the narrator’s complexity: her lavish gifts to her mother vs. inability to cure cancer; her professional confidence vs. personal grief; her past fame vs. current financial struggles. Even her mother’s apparition contrasts with her deathbed frailty. These juxtapositions create a portrait of someone who is both insightful and flawed, spiritually gifted yet humanly vulnerable. The humor in the Genius Bar scene (e.g., Vietnam quip) further contrasts with the chapter’s melancholic opening, showing her resilience (throughout, especially paragraphs 1-2, 9, 17-18).
Quotes
1. “I was the best actress in the world—fooling the public into thinking that I was happy and rich and successful, when in reality I knew that a fundamental piece of me was gone.”
This quote captures the protagonist’s profound grief after her mother’s death, revealing the stark contrast between her public persona as a celebrated psychic and her private despair. It highlights the theme of hidden emotional pain beneath surface success.
2. “I believe we’ve lived many times and have been reincarnated many times, and a spirit is the amalgam of all the lifetimes in which that soul existed. But when a spirit approaches a medium, it comes back with one particular personality, one particular form.”
This passage presents the protagonist’s key spiritual philosophy about reincarnation and spirit manifestation. It’s significant as it explains her later realization about why spirits appear in specific forms, representing a turning point in her understanding of the afterlife.
3. “She was as solid to me as the guy who took my parking ticket minutes later when I pulled out of the garage.”
This vivid description of the protagonist’s encounter with her mother’s spirit challenges common paranormal tropes. The quote is powerful because it conveys how real and tangible the experience felt, despite her professional skepticism.
4. “Doubt has a way of blooming like fireweed. Once it takes hold, it’s nearly impossible to eradicate.”
This eloquent metaphor captures the protagonist’s growing skepticism about her own psychic abilities. It represents a crucial shift in her self-perception and serves as a thematic bridge to her current struggles.
5. “I’m a professional psychic with no connection to the spirit world; I missed my last two rent payments; I stayed up till 3:00 A.M. last night watching a Dance Moms marathon; and the only way I could get into these pants today was by wearing Spanx.”
This self-deprecating monologue reveals the protagonist’s current rock-bottom state with dark humor. It contrasts sharply with her earlier success and shows how far she’s fallen, both professionally and personally.