Chapter 25
What happened to the old man?
He collasped and then died
Which body part disappears?
Left leg
Why is the woman surprised by her feelings toward the typing teacher?
Because she does not hate him as much as she thinks she should, even though he stole her voice and imprisoned her.
What task completely exhausts the narrator at the beginning of the chapter?
Finishing the manuscript by writing with her left hand.
How did the old man die
Intracranial hemorrhage (brain bleed)
Why are the Memory Police able to arrest so many people after the disappearance of left legs?
Because people who still remember cannot convincingly fake forgetting their left legs.
What physical change does the woman notice happening to her vision in the room?
She can no longer see the room clearly and bumps into objects, but she can see the typing teacher more clearly.
Why is finishing the manuscript important to the narrator?
Because it is the one thing she can leave behind for R to remember her by.
What ordinary object was found at the hospital that symbolizes the old man’s unfinished life and sudden death?
Bag of grocieries
What surprises the narrator about the number of arrests?
She is surprised that so many people on the island still remember and resist the disappearances.
What happens when the woman hears someone other than the typing teacher approaching the room?
She realizes it is her chance to escape but stays silent and still, allowing the person to leave.
Why does the narrator believe R is different from everyone else on the island?
Because he is the only one who continues to resist the disappearances and refuses to let things go.
What type of emotion does the narrator feel after the old man passes
Anxiety/sense of being alone/unease
Which theme is emphasized when the Memory Police use body-part disappearances to strengthen their control?
Authoritarianism and surveillance.
What does the woman’s decision not to call for help symbolize in the larger novel?
It represents giving up resistance and accepting fate, mirroring the island’s response to disappearances.
How does R respond when the narrator worries that she is “losing herself”?
He tells her the story will live on in his heart and that her words will remain even after she is gone.
What is something that the narrator hasn't done since novels disappeared?
Writing sentences in her manuscript
Which body part disappears later in the chapter, forcing R to physically help the narrator?
The right arm.
What disturbing plan does the typing teacher reveal at the end of the chapter?
He plans to trap another woman’s voice in the typewriter.
What happens to the people on the island after bodies disappear?
They become lighter, drift through the air, stop creating new things, and accept the stillness of the island.