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Surfacing Chapter 27 Summary

  • She appears to be where we left her in the previous chapter. She resolves not to be a victim and to feel powerless, which means she has to acknowledge that she is capable of hurting other people. Apparently, that's a pretty major revelation for her.
  • She goes back into her room and gets dressed in her (slashed) clothes.
  • She thinks about the baby she believes is in her belly, which she suggests might actually end up being the "first true human" (27.3).
  • When she's outside in the garden, she hears a boat arrive. It's Paul and Joe.
  • Joe gets out and calls for her. She thinks about what to do, saying that her "love for him" is useless. Wait, now she loves him?
  • She considers what will happen if she goes with him. She's not sure if she should, but she does say, "But he isn't an American, I can see that now; he isn't anything, he is only half-formed, and for that reason I can trust him" (27.9). Half-formed? What a compliment.
  • As he calls for her and seems to get increasingly annoyed, she watches him.