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    Leaving Time

    by

    Picoult, Jodi

    “Leaving Time” by Jodi Picoult is a gripping novel that intertwines mystery, grief, and the bond between humans and elephants. The story follows Jenna Metcalf, a 13-year-old girl searching for her mother, Alice, a renowned elephant researcher who disappeared a decade earlier under mysterious circumstances. With the help of a skeptical psychic and a disgraced detective, Jenna uncovers buried secrets about her mother’s work and the tragic events at an elephant sanctuary. The novel explores themes of memory, loss, and maternal love, while weaving in fascinating insights into elephant behavior and emotions. Picoult blends emotional depth with suspense, culminating in a surprising twist that redefines the narrative.

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    Leaving Time

    Chapter 17: Jenna

    by

    Picoult, Jodi

    Jen­na is walk­ing along a state high­way when Seren­i­ty pulls up in her car, offer­ing her a ride home. Jen­na hes­i­tates, reluc­tant to engage in a con­ver­sa­tion about Vir­gil, whose pres­ence or opin­ions she clear­ly resents. Their inter­ac­tion is inter­rupt­ed by a police offi­cer, lead­ing to a tense but brief exchange. Jen­na even­tu­al­ly gets into Serenity’s clut­tered car, where she folds a dol­lar bill into an elephant—a skill her moth­er taught her. This act sparks a reflec­tion on her com­pli­cat­ed feel­ings about her moth­er, who she feels has dis­ap­point­ed her yet still influ­ences her life.

    As they dri­ve, Jen­na observes Serenity’s eclec­tic belong­ings and con­trast­ing symbols—a fuzzy steer­ing wheel cov­er and a reli­gious cross—prompting her to pon­der whether oppos­ing beliefs can coex­ist. She ques­tions whether both her par­ents could share blame for past events and if her mother’s love for her could per­sist despite her absence. Serenity’s unapolo­getic per­son­al­i­ty, marked by her bold appear­ance and care­free atti­tude, con­trasts with Jenna’s intro­spec­tion. Jen­na admires Serenity’s self-accep­tance, even as she strug­gles with her own unre­solved emo­tions and search for mean­ing.

    Their con­ver­sa­tion turns philo­soph­i­cal when Jen­na asks Seren­i­ty about the mean­ing of life. Seren­i­ty deflects with humor but even­tu­al­ly shares wis­dom from her spir­it guides: avoid inten­tion­al harm and seek hap­pi­ness. Jen­na won­ders if her own pur­pose is tied to uncov­er­ing the truth about her mother’s dis­ap­pear­ance, ques­tion­ing whether this pur­suit will tru­ly bring her ful­fill­ment. The exchange high­lights Jenna’s deep yearn­ing for answers and her uncer­tain­ty about whether those answers will heal her.

    After Seren­i­ty drops her off, Jen­na bikes to a sanc­tu­ary, where she falls asleep and dreams of her child­hood. The dream recalls a nurs­ery school field trip to see an ele­phant named Mau­ra, where Jenna’s detailed draw­ings of the ani­mal set her apart from her peers. This mem­o­ry under­scores her unique upbring­ing and the last­ing impact of her mother’s influ­ence, even in her absence. The chap­ter clos­es with Jenna’s qui­et deter­mi­na­tion to uncov­er the past, despite the emo­tion­al toll it takes on her.

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    FAQs

    • 1. How does Jenna’s interaction with Serenity reveal her conflicted feelings about her mother’s disappearance?

      Answer:
      Jenna’s conversation with Serenity shows her internal struggle between resentment and longing for her mother. When folding the dollar bill into an elephant—a skill her mother taught her—Jenna remarks, “You’d be surprised how much you can learn from someone who’s completely disappointed you,” highlighting her mixed emotions (Chapter 17). Later, she questions whether her mother could both abandon her and still love her, demonstrating her unresolved grief and need for closure. Serenity’s nonjudgmental presence allows Jenna to voice these contradictions, even as she resists Serenity’s attempts to comfort her.

      2. Analyze the significance of Jenna’s dream about her childhood elephant paintings. How does it reflect her relationship with her mother and her identity?

      Answer:
      The dream underscores Jenna’s deep connection to her mother’s work with elephants and how it shaped her worldview. Unlike her peers, Jenna painted elephants with scientific precision, mirroring her mother’s detailed sketches (e.g., notched ears, kinky tail hair). This reflects both her inherited expertise and her isolation from “normal” childhood experiences (e.g., not knowing Disney princesses). The dream symbolizes Jenna’s longing for her mother’s guidance and her struggle to reconcile her unique upbringing with societal expectations. It also hints at her artistic and observational gifts, which she associates with her mother’s legacy.

      3. How does Serenity’s response to Jenna’s question about “the meaning of life” contrast with Jenna’s personal quest?

      Answer:
      Serenity simplifies life’s purpose to avoiding harm and pursuing happiness, as advised by her spirit guides. However, Jenna challenges this by suggesting her happiness depends on uncovering the truth about her mother’s disappearance: “What if the meaning of my life is to find out what happened to hers?” (Chapter 17). This contrast reveals Jenna’s single-minded focus on the past, while Serenity advocates for present-moment contentment. Serenity’s question—”Are you so sure it will [make you happy]?“—hints that Jenna’s search may be more about closure than fulfillment.

      4. What symbolic details in Serenity’s car (e.g., the fuzzy steering wheel cover, ornate cross) reflect the novel’s broader themes?

      Answer:
      The juxtaposed items—a whimsical monster-themed steering wheel cover and a religious cross—mirror the novel’s exploration of duality and belief. Jenna notes they represent “as far apart on the belief scale as humanly possible,” prompting her to wonder if opposing truths can coexist (Chapter 17). This parallels her struggle to reconcile her parents’ potential roles in her trauma and whether her mother’s love could persist despite abandonment. Serenity’s unapologetic embrace of contradictions also models a way to hold complexity, a theme central to Jenna’s emotional journey.

      5. Why does Jenna lie to Serenity about going home, and what does her return to the sanctuary suggest about her emotional state?

      Answer:
      Jenna lies to avoid vulnerability, rejecting Serenity’s dinner invitation to secretly visit the sanctuary—a place tied to her mother. This deception shows her reluctance to accept comfort or distraction from her mission. Her choice to sleep near the purple mushrooms (a site linked to her mother’s research) and her dream about childhood reveal her subconscious yearning for connection. Despite physical pain and consequences (e.g., being grounded), she prioritizes this pilgrimage, emphasizing her fixation on the past and inability to move forward without answers.

    Quotes

    • 1. “You’d be surprised how much you can learn from someone who’s completely disappointed you.”

      This quote captures Jenna’s complex relationship with her missing mother, revealing how even absence and disappointment can become sources of learning and growth. It reflects the chapter’s exploration of parental legacy and emotional resilience.

      2. “Can a person hold tightly to two thoughts that look, at first sight, as if they’d cancel each other out?”

      This philosophical question represents Jenna’s central internal conflict - her struggle to reconcile contradictory truths about her parents and their roles in her life. It underscores the chapter’s theme of cognitive dissonance in personal relationships.

      3. “Desmond and Lucinda, my spirit guides, said all the universe wants from us is two things: Don’t do any intentional harm to yourself or anyone else, and get happy.”

      Serenity’s spiritual wisdom provides a counterpoint to Jenna’s existential questioning, offering a simple yet profound philosophy of life. This exchange represents a key moment where Jenna seeks deeper meaning beyond her personal quest.

      4. “What if the meaning of my life is to find out what happened to hers?”

      This poignant question reveals Jenna’s driving motivation and the potential trap of defining one’s purpose solely through unresolved trauma. It encapsulates the chapter’s exploration of identity formation through parental mysteries.

      5. “I was like a tiny little Audubon, although I had no idea what that meant at the time.”

      This childhood memory illustrates how Jenna’s unique upbringing with elephants shaped her perception and abilities from an early age. It provides important backstory about her special connection to her mother’s work and the natural world.

    Quotes

    1. “You’d be surprised how much you can learn from someone who’s completely disappointed you.”

    This quote captures Jenna’s complex relationship with her missing mother, revealing how even absence and disappointment can become sources of learning and growth. It reflects the chapter’s exploration of parental legacy and emotional resilience.

    2. “Can a person hold tightly to two thoughts that look, at first sight, as if they’d cancel each other out?”

    This philosophical question represents Jenna’s central internal conflict - her struggle to reconcile contradictory truths about her parents and their roles in her life. It underscores the chapter’s theme of cognitive dissonance in personal relationships.

    3. “Desmond and Lucinda, my spirit guides, said all the universe wants from us is two things: Don’t do any intentional harm to yourself or anyone else, and get happy.”

    Serenity’s spiritual wisdom provides a counterpoint to Jenna’s existential questioning, offering a simple yet profound philosophy of life. This exchange represents a key moment where Jenna seeks deeper meaning beyond her personal quest.

    4. “What if the meaning of my life is to find out what happened to hers?”

    This poignant question reveals Jenna’s driving motivation and the potential trap of defining one’s purpose solely through unresolved trauma. It encapsulates the chapter’s exploration of identity formation through parental mysteries.

    5. “I was like a tiny little Audubon, although I had no idea what that meant at the time.”

    This childhood memory illustrates how Jenna’s unique upbringing with elephants shaped her perception and abilities from an early age. It provides important backstory about her special connection to her mother’s work and the natural world.

    FAQs

    1. How does Jenna’s interaction with Serenity reveal her conflicted feelings about her mother’s disappearance?

    Answer:
    Jenna’s conversation with Serenity shows her internal struggle between resentment and longing for her mother. When folding the dollar bill into an elephant—a skill her mother taught her—Jenna remarks, “You’d be surprised how much you can learn from someone who’s completely disappointed you,” highlighting her mixed emotions (Chapter 17). Later, she questions whether her mother could both abandon her and still love her, demonstrating her unresolved grief and need for closure. Serenity’s nonjudgmental presence allows Jenna to voice these contradictions, even as she resists Serenity’s attempts to comfort her.

    2. Analyze the significance of Jenna’s dream about her childhood elephant paintings. How does it reflect her relationship with her mother and her identity?

    Answer:
    The dream underscores Jenna’s deep connection to her mother’s work with elephants and how it shaped her worldview. Unlike her peers, Jenna painted elephants with scientific precision, mirroring her mother’s detailed sketches (e.g., notched ears, kinky tail hair). This reflects both her inherited expertise and her isolation from “normal” childhood experiences (e.g., not knowing Disney princesses). The dream symbolizes Jenna’s longing for her mother’s guidance and her struggle to reconcile her unique upbringing with societal expectations. It also hints at her artistic and observational gifts, which she associates with her mother’s legacy.

    3. How does Serenity’s response to Jenna’s question about “the meaning of life” contrast with Jenna’s personal quest?

    Answer:
    Serenity simplifies life’s purpose to avoiding harm and pursuing happiness, as advised by her spirit guides. However, Jenna challenges this by suggesting her happiness depends on uncovering the truth about her mother’s disappearance: “What if the meaning of my life is to find out what happened to hers?” (Chapter 17). This contrast reveals Jenna’s single-minded focus on the past, while Serenity advocates for present-moment contentment. Serenity’s question—”Are you so sure it will [make you happy]?“—hints that Jenna’s search may be more about closure than fulfillment.

    4. What symbolic details in Serenity’s car (e.g., the fuzzy steering wheel cover, ornate cross) reflect the novel’s broader themes?

    Answer:
    The juxtaposed items—a whimsical monster-themed steering wheel cover and a religious cross—mirror the novel’s exploration of duality and belief. Jenna notes they represent “as far apart on the belief scale as humanly possible,” prompting her to wonder if opposing truths can coexist (Chapter 17). This parallels her struggle to reconcile her parents’ potential roles in her trauma and whether her mother’s love could persist despite abandonment. Serenity’s unapologetic embrace of contradictions also models a way to hold complexity, a theme central to Jenna’s emotional journey.

    5. Why does Jenna lie to Serenity about going home, and what does her return to the sanctuary suggest about her emotional state?

    Answer:
    Jenna lies to avoid vulnerability, rejecting Serenity’s dinner invitation to secretly visit the sanctuary—a place tied to her mother. This deception shows her reluctance to accept comfort or distraction from her mission. Her choice to sleep near the purple mushrooms (a site linked to her mother’s research) and her dream about childhood reveal her subconscious yearning for connection. Despite physical pain and consequences (e.g., being grounded), she prioritizes this pilgrimage, emphasizing her fixation on the past and inability to move forward without answers.

    Note