Summary
The narrative about Ani's past resumes: back in the fall of 2001, she settled hopefully into the Bradley school. She was gradually gaining the trust and attention of the popular students, including Hilary, Olivia, Dean, and Peyton. Liam also continued to be flirtatious with her. Ani began running on the track team, coached by Mr. Larson. Eventually, Ani began to sit with Hilary and Olivia at lunch time, even though she had previously sat with Arthur and his friends. Ani's new friends used the nickname "Finny" for her. Ani attended a school dance after Hilary and Olivia invited her; shortly after arriving, Hilary and Olivia persuaded Ani to leave with them. Joined by Dean, Peyton, Liam and some older boys, the teens drove to an isolated clearing in the woods known as The Spot.
The other teens began gossiping about a boy named Ben Hunter, who had previously attended the Bradley School. They reported that Ben and Arthur were sexually involved, and that Ben had tried to kill himself. Ani was alarmed by these rumors, especially because she had grown to like Arthur, but she did not stand up for him because she wanted to fit in with the popular students. A few days later, Ani was invited to attend a party at Dean's house. At the party, Ani was surprised to find that she was the only girl there amidst Dean and his friends, most of whom were also soccer players. As the evening went on, Ani drank more and more. Eventually, she passed out.
Ani regained consciousness to find that Peyton was sexually assaulting her, but she was only vaguely aware of what was happening and lost consciousness again. When she woke up a second time, Liam was raping her. Later, a third boy, Dean, also sexually assaulted her. When Ani woke up the next day, Dean was lighthearted about events, and acted as though only drunken fun had occurred. Liam and Dean took her to breakfast while Ani tried to process what happened. Eventually, Ani's mother came to pick her up, and was angry when she suspected that Ani has been drinking.
The Monday after the party, when Ani went to school, she could tell that the other students were gossiping about her. After English class, Mr. Larson pulled her aside. He told her that he had been hearing some rumors, and suggested that she could meet with the school nurse if she needed emergency contraception. Ani was too ashamed to respond, and she rushed away. Later, Ani pulled Liam aside; he confirmed that he did not use a condom, and she told him that she wanted to go to Planned Parenthood and get emergency contraception after school. Liam arranged to have another boy drive them to the clinic. When Ani met with the doctor, she got a prescription for emergency contraception, and hinted that she may have been raped. However, the doctor brushed aside her question. Ani felt very alone and ashamed.
Meanwhile, in the present day narrative, Luke invites Ani to join him for dinner with a client. Ani is somewhat hesitant, but as always, she is committed to making Luke happy. Ani is very grateful that Luke is willing to marry her, because she is ashamed of her lower-class origins. Ani insisted on getting engaged to Luke when she agreed to participate in the documentary. That night, Ani goes for dinner with Luke, his client, Andrew, and Andrew's wife, Whitney. Ani is astonished to recognize Andrew as "Mr. Larson," her high school English teacher. Shortly after teaching Ani, Mr. Larson gave up his teaching career, and now works in finance. Ani dislikes Whitney, whom she views as boring and privileged. During the dinner, Mr. Larson hints that he will also participate in the documentary, although neither he nor Ani is allowed to officially confirm this.
After the dinner, Ani and Luke travel to his parent's lavish home for some wedding planning. Ani's mother also joins them, even though Ani is always self-conscious about her mother's lack of social graces. During the visit, Ani reflects on the many ways she often feels uncomfortable and even disgusted with the privileged and self-centered behavior displayed by Luke, his family, and his social circles. Ani and Luke also have very different social and political values. Ani has to work hard to appease Luke and tolerate him, but she does so nonetheless because she desperately wants the financial and social security that marriage will offer.
Analysis
In this section, the retrospective narrative reveals the terrible violation that Ani experienced as a young girl: she was raped by multiple boys during a party at one of their houses. Ani's innocence and desire to be liked make her vulnerable; when she arrives at the party, she suspects there is something unusual in that she is the only girl present. However, because Ani has already absorbed cultural messaging to value male attention, she sees this as a success rather than a threat. Ani has also been primed by her mother to try to ingratiate herself with the students at the Bradley School because they are wealthy. Ani's experiences with the students at the Bradley School parallel how she will later work to ingratiate herself with Luke and his friends and family. The feeling that she is less worthy than others primes Ani to be willing to accept mistreatment.
Ani's rape is presented in blunt and graphic terms, with grotesque imagery used to evoke how traumatic the event is for her. The imagery of blood foreshadows both how she will be further humiliated in the gym shorts incident, and the further violence she will encounter during the school attack. Ani's emotional precariousness and desperate need to be liked are highlighted in the aftermath of her rape; she has to continue to act friendly with the boys who victimized her, and effectively act as if nothing happened. Ani experiences secondary trauma in the wake of the rape due to her inability to name and understand what happened to her. The perpetrators act as though these events were normal, and even funny, and protect themselves by encouraging Ani to shrug off the experience. Because no one has taught Ani to value herself and the importance of consent, she is not clear on how to understand what happened to her.
Ani's uncertainty about how to process and label the events she experienced is further reinforced by the way that authority figures let her down. Mr. Larson has clearly gleaned that Ani has been sexually active, since he suggests that she access emergency contraception, but he avoids the notion of consent involved in the encounter. More pointedly, the doctor in whom Ani tries to confide recuses herself from any role in helping Ani by declining to comment on what happened. Ani is betrayed when she tries to tell someone what happened to her, so it is hardly surprising that she becomes confused and reluctant to seek justice. Between the doctor, her mother, and the boys themselves, Ani is repeatedly betrayed by people who show a lack of regard for her and her well-being. Ani cannot process or assimilate the experience of being raped because no one names the event for what it is, and she is shut down in her first tentative attempt to do so herself. Instead, she internalizes a sense of shame and worthlessness that will haunt her for years afterwards.
The retrospective narration of Ani's rape is juxtaposed with more exposition about her relationship with Luke, the tension between their core values, and the way she is betraying herself by staying in the relationship. Luke's wealth and privilege have not only rendered him less empathetic to others, but they have made him inclined to be conservative. Luke and his family are precisely the people who benefit from the status quo and balance of power being maintained; Luke is not, for example, explicitly opposed to abortion, but he is willing to support pro-life politicians if they will offer beneficial tax breaks. Ani tries vainly to convince Luke that his political actions and beliefs are dangerous; the episode in which she accessed services at Planned Parenthood was potentially life changing for her, but Luke is indifferent. Luke cannot relate to Ani's experiences, and he becomes one more person who fails her. When Ani confides in him, he only vaguely responds, and does not recognize the effects of what she experienced. By contrasting the events in which Ani conciliates the boys who raped her with the scenes of tension between Ani and Luke, the novel suggests that Ani has only continued to be victimized. She is still seeking approval, and that desire for approval is prompting her to shrug off unacceptable actions. Ani not only has to silence her critiques of Luke himself, but also of the friends and family around him who espouse racist, sexist, and homophobic viewpoints.
