Leaving Time
Chapter 26: Alice
by Picoult, JodiThe chapter “Alice” explores themes of resilience and new beginnings as the protagonist adjusts to life after her partner Thomas’s unexplained absence. Over two months, Alice discovers unexpected strengths, balancing her scientific work with managing the elephant sanctuary. Her daughter Jenna blossoms during this time, developing language skills and curiosity about the world. The passage highlights how Alice and Gideon, her dedicated colleague, form a partnership to keep the sanctuary running, often working late into the evenings while Jenna plays nearby.
Alice observes the elephants’ emotional complexity, particularly Maura’s gradual recovery from grief over her lost calf. She continues her research despite Thomas’s disapproval, bringing Jenna along as the toddler displays a natural affinity for observation and sorting objects. Gideon frequently joins them, sharing stories about the elephants’ traumatic pasts in circuses. Their conversations reveal both the animals’ capacity for forgiveness and the humans’ guilt over their role in elephant suffering, creating poignant moments of reflection.
A tense incident occurs when Jenna wanders dangerously close to Maura, enchanted by the elephant. Gideon swiftly intervenes, preventing potential disaster but triggering Jenna’s terrified tantrum. The scene underscores the unpredictable nature of both children and elephants, as well as the protective dynamic between Alice, Gideon, and Jenna. As Gideon calms the exhausted child, Alice reflects on her parenting compared to elephant mothers’ infinite patience, revealing her insecurities.
The chapter concludes with tender moments between Alice and Gideon as they watch over the sleeping Jenna. Their mutual appreciation surfaces—Gideon praises Alice’s motherhood, while she acknowledges his potential as a father. This unspoken connection lingers as they sit together, surrounded by dandelions Jenna had gathered, suggesting the possibility of deeper bonds forming in Thomas’s absence. The sanctuary becomes a space for healing and new relationships, both human and animal.
FAQs
1. How does Alice’s role at the sanctuary evolve during Thomas’s absence, and what does this reveal about her character?
Answer:
Alice transitions from being primarily a researcher to taking on significant business and managerial responsibilities at the sanctuary. The chapter highlights her adaptability and resilience, noting that she discovers she’s “a very good businesswoman” in addition to being a scientist. This shift demonstrates her practical competence and willingness to step up during a crisis. Her collaboration with Gideon—balancing cerebral financial work with his physical labor—shows her teamwork and leadership skills. The text emphasizes her growth: “In two months, you can start over,” suggesting personal reinvention through necessity.2. Analyze the significance of the near-accident involving Jenna and Maura. What themes does this incident highlight?
Answer:
This tense moment underscores themes of danger, trust, and interspecies communication. Jenna’s innocent fascination with Maura (“Elephant!”) contrasts with the very real risk of her being trampled, illustrating how children and elephants are both “unpredictable.” The scene also reveals Gideon’s protective instincts and Alice’s delayed fear response, showing their complementary parenting styles. Maura’s subsequent flight mirrors Jenna’s tantrum—both react with post-event terror, drawing a parallel between human and animal emotions. The incident reinforces the sanctuary’s precarious balance between wonder and risk.3. How does the chapter portray the elephants’ capacity for forgiveness and emotional resilience, particularly through Maura’s behavior?
Answer:
The chapter emphasizes elephants’ profound ability to process trauma and rebuild relationships. Maura, who once grieved intensely at her calf’s grave, now bonds with Hester and shows no aggression toward Gideon despite his role in removing her baby. Alice observes that elephants “don’t blame us for what other people did to them,” highlighting their emotional intelligence. Gideon’s hope that Maura forgives him reflects human guilt, while Alice’s blunt “she doesn’t hold it against you anymore” suggests elephants move forward without harboring resentment—a lesson in emotional resilience.4. Compare Alice’s parenting style with her observations of elephant mothers. What irony does she recognize?
Answer:
Alice admires elephant mothers for never losing their temper with babies, no matter how “annoying or whiny” they are—a stark contrast to her snapping at Jenna after the dangerous encounter. She ironically notes her own lack of this “skill set,” though Gideon reassures her she’s a good mother. The comparison underscores Alice’s self-awareness and the universal challenges of parenting. Her comment that Jenna is “lucky to have you” followed by “considering I’m all she’s got” reveals both her insecurity and the weight of single parenthood.5. What does Gideon’s relationship with Jenna reveal about his character and his evolving role in Alice’s life?
Answer:
Gideon emerges as a nurturing figure who comforts Jenna during her tantrum with surprising skill, even enduring physical discomfort (“a sneaker connected with his groin”). His calm under pressure and Alice’s observation that he’d “be a good father” suggest deeper emotional availability. Their shared routines—working late, snacks, iced tea—hint at a growing familial bond. The chapter’s closing lines (“Somehow, we fell”) imply an unplanned but inevitable emotional connection, with Gideon becoming both a practical support and emotional anchor for Alice and Jenna.
Quotes
1. “In two months, you can start to feel confident again. In two months, you might discover that, in addition to being a scientist, you are also a very good businesswoman. In two months, a child can start talking up a storm… In two months, you can start over.”
This passage marks Alice’s emotional and practical transformation after her husband’s disappearance. The repetition of “two months” underscores how much can change in a short time, highlighting resilience and new beginnings as central themes.
2. “It’s amazing how they don’t blame us for what other people did to them. I think they forgive. I hope they forgive.”
This exchange between Alice and Gideon about the elephants’ capacity for forgiveness reflects the chapter’s exploration of trauma and healing. It draws a parallel between the elephants’ experiences and human relationships, suggesting a universal need for compassion.
3. “She was terrified after the fact, too… I’ve never seen an elephant mother lose her temper with a baby? No matter how annoying or whiny or difficult the baby’s being? Unfortunately, I don’t seem to have the same skill set in my parenting.”
This moment contrasts elephant and human parenting after Jenna’s dangerous encounter with Maura. It reveals Alice’s self-doubt while emphasizing the elephants’ emotional intelligence, a key theme throughout the chapter.
4. “Somehow, we fell into that habit. Somehow, we fell.”
This poetic conclusion to Alice’s description of working evenings with Gideon captures the quiet, inevitable development of their relationship. The dual meaning of “fell” subtly signals both routine and emotional attachment forming between them.