Content warning: This section of the guide discusses substance use, emotional and physical abuse, mental illness, and gender discrimination. 

John leaves the morning after requesting a divorce. Jane goes outside and throws chunks of concrete and bricks at the wall. When she runs out, she goes out and buys more bricks. Jane thinks of herself as a violent “animal,” who needs to unleash her emotions before she tries to write or speak. After she recovers, she starts packing up John’s belongings, and she and John try to help the child process the events. Eben comes to help Jane clear the house of John’s belongings, and John and Jane agree on a divorce mediator. Jane experiences strong waves of emotions—“It felt like labor. I sucked ginger candies. I was gestating the future” (184). She also feels “buoyed” by the support she receives from her friends, and she recognizes how capable she is compared to John.

At mediation, John claims that leaving Jane was an act of self-defense and to protect the child. Hannah criticizes this tactic as “retro,” and Jane realizes that John is trying to manipulate the