Wish You Were Here:
Chapter 5: Five
by Picoult, JodiIn Chapter Five, the protagonist explores the local flea market after discovering the island remains closed due to the pandemic. The market operates on a barter system, with locals trading goods like clothing, food, and household items instead of using money. The protagonist encounters Abuela, a former hotel employee, who warmly greets her despite their language barrier. Observing the vibrant exchange of goods, the protagonist realizes she has little to offer but reflects on the community’s resilience and adaptability in the face of supply chain disruptions.
The chapter highlights a poignant moment when the protagonist sketches a young boy who had been bullied by other children. Using a postcard and pencil, she draws his portrait, emphasizing his missing teeth and adding a superhero cape to boost his confidence. The boy’s delighted reaction and his gift of a spiky guanábana fruit in return underscore the unexpected connections formed through creativity and kindness. This interaction reignites the protagonist’s artistic passion, a skill she had sidelined for her career, and reveals the power of small gestures in fostering human connection.
As the day progresses, the protagonist trades her sketches for practical items like a sunhat, shorts, and flip-flops, while Abuela prepares a meal using bartered ingredients. The protagonist’s growing comfort on the island is evident when she refers to her temporary residence as “home” for the first time. This subtle shift reflects her gradual acceptance of her unexpected circumstances and the island’s role in providing solace during global uncertainty.
The chapter concludes with an email from the protagonist’s friend, Finn, detailing the grim reality of New York’s Covid-19 crisis. Finn describes the isolation of healthcare workers, the lack of tests, and the heartbreaking deaths of patients without family present. This stark contrast to the protagonist’s experience on the island emphasizes the theme of finding unexpected refuge and purpose amidst chaos, while also underscoring the pandemic’s devastating impact elsewhere.
FAQs
1. How does the protagonist adapt to the island’s economic challenges after learning it won’t reopen?
Answer:
The protagonist observes and participates in the local barter system after discovering the bank is closed and traditional commerce is disrupted. She witnesses locals trading goods like clothing, food, and household items without money. Though initially unsure what she can contribute, she realizes her artistic skills are valuable—sketching portraits in exchange for items like fruit, clothing, and food. This adaptation highlights her resourcefulness and the community’s resilience, as seen when she trades drawings for guanábana, a sunhat, and other essentials. The scene underscores how crises can inspire creative solutions and communal cooperation.2. What significance does the protagonist’s interaction with the bullied boy hold in the chapter?
Answer:
The encounter symbolizes redemption and the power of small acts of kindness. After witnessing the boy being mocked for his lisp and having his comic book torn, the protagonist sketches him as a superhero, restoring his dignity. This moment reignites her passion for art, which she had sidelined for career ambitions (e.g., her Sotheby’s internship). The boy’s grateful trade of guanábana reflects how empathy can foster connection. Additionally, the scene contrasts with the brutality of the pandemic described in Finn’s email, offering a hopeful counterpoint to isolation and loss.3. Analyze how the chapter juxtaposes the island’s makeshift economy with the realities of the pandemic in New York.
Answer:
The island’s flea market represents improvisation and community solidarity, where bartering sustains livelihoods and fosters human connection (e.g., Abuela trading jam for shoes). In stark contrast, Finn’s email depicts New York’s chaos: hospitals overwhelmed, residents dying alone, and medical professionals isolating to avoid infecting families. While the island’s challenges are met with collective creativity, the urban crisis emphasizes isolation and systemic failure. This juxtaposition highlights how environments shape responses to adversity—the island’s tight-knit culture versus the impersonal scale of a pandemic-stricken city.4. How does the protagonist’s evolving sense of “home” reflect her emotional journey?
Answer:
Initially, the protagonist views the island as a temporary stop, but her subconscious reference to her rental as “home” signals growing attachment. This shift is facilitated by her integration into the community—learning Spanish phrases, sharing meals with Abuela, and contributing through art. The barter system and Abuela’s care provide stability amid uncertainty, contrasting with Finn’s bleak reality in New York. Her nap at “home” underscores a tentative acceptance of her circumstances, suggesting that belonging can emerge unexpectedly through shared humanity and purpose.5. What thematic role does art play in this chapter?
Answer:
Art serves as both a personal and communal lifeline. For the protagonist, sketching reconnects her to a neglected passion, offering fulfillment beyond her corporate ambitions. For the islanders, her portraits become a currency of connection, bridging language barriers (e.g., the girl requesting a drawing) and healing wounds (e.g., the bullied boy). The postcards, initially placeholders, transform into tools of agency and exchange. This theme mirrors the chapter’s broader message: creativity and human connection can thrive even in crisis, countering the dehumanizing forces of the pandemic.
Quotes
1. “The locals have figured out a barter system to combat their limited supply chain from the mainland.”
This quote highlights the community’s resilience and adaptability in the face of crisis, showcasing how they’ve created an alternative economy when traditional systems fail. It introduces a key theme of resourcefulness that runs through the chapter.
2. “Every artist has a starting point, and mine was always the eyes. If I could capture those, the rest would fall into place.”
This insight reveals the protagonist’s artistic process and philosophy, marking a significant moment of reconnection with her creative identity. It represents a turning point where she begins to rediscover her passion for art.
3. “It is the first time, in my own mind, I’ve called it that.”
This brief but powerful statement captures the protagonist’s growing sense of belonging and acceptance of her unexpected situation. It marks an emotional shift in her perspective about being stranded on the island.
4. “She was alone in her room…”
The final, unfinished sentence about the dying patient creates a haunting contrast between the protagonist’s experience on the island and the harsh realities of the pandemic elsewhere. It underscores the chapter’s themes of isolation and human connection.