Fish Tank
Summary
- The chapter starts with Nora and Mrs. Elm having a conversation at a library. Nora expresses regret for choices made in her past and questions why she didn't return home after her friend Izzy died.
- Mrs. Elm explains that Nora got stuck in her grief and depression. Nora likens her depression to a study she read about fish, specifically zebrafish, which can experience depression when they lack stimulation.
- She relates her post-Izzy Australian life to being in an empty fish tank, floating aimlessly, without an incentive to change or elevate her life.
- Nora contemplates that some individuals, herself included, may be inherently "stuck" in life just like a starfish is inherently a starfish in every life.
- When Nora expresses her wish for a life where she is not stuck, Mrs. Elm challenges her with the idea that Nora needs to define what she wants.
- Nora decides she wants to lead a successful life but struggles to define what success means to her.
- Mrs. Elm suggests reconnecting with her Book of Regrets to reflect on past decisions. Nora declines as she already knows her regrets and doesn’t want to confront them.
- Mrs. Elm brings up Nora's past as a competitive swimmer, which she quit due to self-consciousness about her body and the pressure of winning.
- Remembering the disappointment on her father’s face when she quit, Nora expresses a desire to live the life where she never quit swimming and continued training to reach the Olympics.
- The chapter ends with the bookshelves in the Library moving, bringing Nora a new book which represents the life where she continued to swim. Upon opening it, Nora feels absolutely nothing.