Normal People Part 4
Five Months Later (December 2013)
After breaking up with Jamie, Marianne moves to study in Sweden for a year. She keeps in touch with Joanna and continues to have long discussions with Connell over e-mail. She has also begun seeing a photographer called Lukas. She goes over to his house after eating half of her breakfast and finds him setting up his camera and tripod. She explains that Lukas is a sadist much like Jamie, and he likes to play a game with her. In the game, he can do anything to her until she showers. He often doesn’t let her shower till much later and likes to say horrible things to her. Marianne finds the experience numbing and bears it because she believes that she deserves it.
The photo session begins, and Lukas begins to tie her up, despite her protests. However, Marianne refuses to play along with the game when he tells her that he loves her and that he knows she loves him. Marianne storms out of his apartment beside herself with anger that people could label such horrendous things as acts of love.
Three Months Later (March 2014)
Connell, at Trinity, is battling depression. His close school friend, Rob, took his own life recently, leaving Connell guilt-ridden for losing touch. Helen, his girlfriend, accompanied him to Rob’s funeral in Carricklea. However, she noticed Connell’s lingering feelings for Marianne, who had returned from Sweden for the funeral and grew jealous. This led to their breakup.
Apart from Rob’s suicide and his split with Helen, Connell despises his life at Trinity. He finds the students there status-driven and generally worse than his old school friends. He also hears unpleasant rumors about Marianne, some from Jamie, including talk of explicit photos of her online, which he hasn’t found.
On Niall’s advice, Connell visits a counselor. Despite the counselor’s worry over his questionnaire responses, he assures her he’ll heed her advice. After a book reading, Connell has a heartening chat with the author, who empathizes with his struggle to fit in at Trinity. The author humorously suggests that Connell’s experiences could inspire a collection of stories, a thought Connell finds pleasing.
Four Months Later (July 2014)
For the first time since joining Trinity, Marianne is spending her summer at home. Connell, who works at the college library, visits home every weekend. They recently joined a protest in Dublin together. On their drive back, Connell confessed his love for Marianne and she reciprocated his feelings.
One evening, while watching soccer with Connell, Marianne expresses her disappointment about his actions at the club the previous night. She had hoped for a kiss while they were dancing, but he left to smoke. Connell explains that it was a misunderstanding and he had wanted to be with her. He talks about the positive impact of their relationship on him. Marianne decides to leave. Connell kisses her, and they begin to make love. This ends abruptly when Marianne asks him if he would hit her and he refuses. Marianne becomes self-conscious and hurries out of the house. Upon her arrival at her home, Alan confronts her about her relationship with Connell. Following her upstairs, Alan violently opens her bedroom door, hitting Marianne in the face and breaking her nose.
Five Minutes Later (July 2014)
Shortly after Marianne departs, Lorraine arrives home. She’s heard rumors about an old girlfriend of Connell’s being pregnant and questions him about his relationship with Marianne. Connell assures her that Marianne isn’t pregnant, and if she were, he wouldn’t be the father. He’s at a loss for words. After Marianne left, he stayed in his room, crying. He feels cornered, and his antidepressants aren’t helping. He realizes he has a unique influence over Marianne, and she possesses the only part of him he truly values. Yet, he believes their relationship has only led to confusion and sorrow.
Marianne calls him, saying she’s had a fall and is hurt. She agrees to Connell’s offer to come over. When he sees her at the door and spots Alan in the background, he understands what transpired. He asks Marianne to wait in his car and warns Alan never to mistreat Marianne again, or he’ll murder him. A frightened and tearful Alan agrees. In the car, Connell assures Marianne that he won’t let anyone harm her again.
Seven Months Later (February 2015)
Connell and Marianne are living in the same apartment in Dublin, and they have a late night of drinking with their friends. The next morning, as she serves him coffee, he apologizes for his drunken behavior the previous night. Last year, Connell had a story published in the campus literary magazine, and this year, he’s the editor. Sadie, who published Connell’s story and seems interested in him, brought vodka punch to the magazine’s launch party. Connell drank so much that Marianne grew concerned for him.
As Marianne gets ready for a shower, she questions Connell about Sadie. He denies any interest in her. When Marianne emerges from the shower, Connell is reading an acceptance email from a creative writing program in New York. He’s torn about whether to go. He insists he doesn’t want to leave Marianne, but she begins to feel insecure. She reminds herself about the positive impact the relationship has had in her life. Marianne encourages him to go, reassuring him that she’ll always be there for him.
Analysis
In the concluding chapters, the narrative explores the abuser-as-victim mindset as Marianne’s family violence cycle ends. When Marianne returns home for the summer, she’s again subjected to Alan’s control and manipulation. He claims he just wants to talk and can’t understand why she’s afraid of him. His belief that he’s being kind and she’s rejecting him reveals his mental instability. Ironically, in his final violent act towards Marianne, Alan accuses both her and Connell of mental illness. He maintains his victim mentality, denying any wrongdoing even after assaulting Marianne. When Connell threatens Alan, his tears reveal his true cowardice. Marianne’s liberation from her family is evident the following Christmas, spent at Connell’s house. Alan’s final insults come via a text message, using their mother as a scapegoat. However, her mother’s true feelings are revealed when she ignores Marianne and the Waldrons at a supermarket on New Year’s Eve. On the brink of a fresh start, Marianne finally achieves a safe invisibility.
The narrative also explores the transformative power of love. Spending time with Joanna and Evelyn, Marianne feels like an outsider looking in at the power of love. Connell’s simple yet somewhat distant declaration of love for her changes their dynamic and opens up communication. Their discussions lead to resolved misunderstandings and honest revelations, allowing Connell to express his anxieties for the first time. Although Marianne acknowledges Connell’s power over her and willingly submits to him, Connell sets boundaries by refusing her request for violence. This rejection leads Marianne to question her power and worth, and Connell feels like a powerless protector. Connell’s intervention with Alan paves the way for normalcy. His public kiss and declaration of love at midnight on New Year’s Eve finally define their relationship and solidify their bond. Marianne’s surrender of her independence and support of Connell’s career pursuit is both mature and tender once she feels worthy of love. Both characters find peace and balance in the powers they have nurtured in each other.
