Chapter 5 Analysis
This chapter is an outlook of the present situation. Peter is now being held captive, which is where he could be spending the rest of his life, in jail. The audience starts to comprehend what is happening and the consequences Peter will endure. The start of this chapter creates suspense as the reader gets a taste of what is to come, but can still predict the next actions. We are introduced to Jordan McAfee's character, who reappears in other novels written by Picoult. We see McAfee as a kind, smart, cautious lawyer. McAfee's character doesn't change throughout the novel. Peter's parents question their actions of parenthood and wonder if the incident at Sterling High was a result of neglect.
This is the point where the police question Lewis Houghton's possession of the gun collection. This is obviously a significant piece in the novel. The audience can now wonder what had influenced the Sterling High tragedy, Lewis Houghton's gun collection or if it was something else.
Josie is just understanding now what has happened over the course of the last couple days. She realizes Matt is dead and she'll never be with him again.
When Alex doesn't allow Josie to go to the arraignment, the audience gets a peak of how their relationship is. Alex can sometimes be controlling, even though her intentions are true. She just wishes to look out for her daughter and wants what is best for her. The way she displays this affection may not always come off in an appropriate way.
Patrick and Diana review the evidence and the results of the guns fired. We learn that one of the hand prints on the gun is inconclusive. Even though the detective does not take much consideration of this, the audience knows it is an essential piece of the puzzle, otherwise it wouldn't have been mentioned. This creates more drama and suspense, intriguing the audience to read on!
When Josie has trouble sleeping, she almost overdoses on her mother's pills. Her mother catches her in time, but the fact Josie resorts to this sort of relief shows the audience how high her stress levels really are. Josie believes she is alone and no one else can help her. She creates a tense mood that causes the audience to sympathizes and perhaps relate to similar situations.
Josie breaks down at her boyfriends funeral. We have all been in a situation where a loved one has passed so this scene is more easy to relate as the audience can understand the hurt Josie endures and the emotions she experiences.