The Teacher

“I am so lucky. I have a beautiful house, a fulfilling career, and a husband who is kind and mild mannered and incredibly handsome. And as Nate pulls the car onto the road and starts driving in the direction of the school, all I can think to myself is that I hope a truck blows through a stop sign, plows into the Honda, and kills us both instantly.”

Eve’s description of her marriage reveals her unhappiness in the relationship despite the way her life appears to others. The problems in their marriage reveal the Corrosive Effect of Secrets, not only because Eve and Nate hide their unhappiness from the people around them but also because their relationship began with the secret that Eve was Nate’s student when he first seduced her. Secrets continue to cause discord between Nate and Eve as the plot develops. Finally, this description foreshadows Eve’s apparent death at the climax of the novel and Nate’s death at the end.

“It doesn’t matter what happened or didn’t happen. It only matters that parents were calling the principal and telling her that they didn’t trust that man around their children. Art—the nicest person who ever was, who didn’t have an evil bone in his body—could no longer be trusted.”

When Eve reflects on the reason Art Tuttle resigned from his position at Caseham High School, she blames the Effects of Rumor and Scandal, which often prioritize appearances over truth. Art was Eve’s mentor, and she knew him better than anyone; therefore, she believed him when he said that his relationship with Addie was professional despite the way it looked. Although Art was never accused of inappropriate behavior or abuse and was cleared in an investigation, he was still forced to resign due to parents’ perception that he was untrustworthy.

“But lunch is different. Because everybody is sitting in groups and talking to each other, and if you’re not with other kids, then you’re some kind of loser who nobody wants to socialize with. And that is me all over today.”

Addie feels the weight of Social Ostracism when she goes to lunch on the first day of school. Due to the rumors surrounding her relationship with Mr. Tuttle the year before, none of the other kids want to sit with Addie at lunch, and she feels isolated and lonely. As time goes on and the ostracism continues, Addie becomes vulnerable to the manipulative seduction of her English teacher, Nate Bennett.

“Before I can stop myself, I slide the pair of Christian Louboutin pumps inside my sky-blue purse. They fit perfectly, like they were meant to be there. When I zip up my purse, you can’t tell they are even inside. And most shoes don’t have anything that will alarm when they are taken out of the store.”

Eve reveals her obsession with shoes in her attempt to steal an expensive pair of pumps from a store in the mall. Her desire to own these shoes and hide them from Nate is so intense that she risks her reputation and career to have them. Eve’s behavior is easily misinterpreted as materialism or vanity until later in the novel when the reader learns that Eve was the first student Nate seduced in his role as a teacher. This information complicates Eve’s character; Nate’s manipulation of Eve in her teenage years led to emotional and psychological symptoms that she continues to deal with.

“You’re like me, and you try to help students who need it. But you have to be very careful around her. She’s…Addie is a troubled girl.”

Art Tuttle’s warning to Eve reinforces Eve’s preconception of Addie: She is dangerous. Eve blames Addie for Art’s resignation from Caseham High School due to rumors of an inappropriate relationship. Art’s advice in this dramatic meeting that Addie is trouble makes it appear that he knows something about Addie that hasn’t come out and that Addie purposefully ruined his reputation. This moment adds tension to the plot and gives weight to Eve’s suspicions about Addie.

“I was at Simon’s to buy a pair of shoes. Somehow, I keep thinking the right pair of shoes will fix everything. Like if I walked into our house in the perfect pair of pumps, suddenly Nate would find me attractive again.”

Eve’s obsession with shoes stems from her belief that they will make her attractive enough to get and keep Nate’s attention. Even though she attempts to conceal the new shoes, Eve wants to make her marriage work despite Nate’s lack of romantic interest. Her belief that shoes will make her attractive to Nate indicates the extent to which she assumes that she has no inherent worth. Her lack of self-worth is a direct result of Nick’s attraction to teenage girls: He is attracted not to who they are as people but to the degree to which they make him feel powerful and alluring. Eve innately understands that even though Nick married her, the girls he finds appealing, including her, are ultimately interchangeable. As a result, she looks outside herself for anything that will set her apart from the other girls he seduces.

“‘I’m just saying,’ I continue after the waitress has finally left us alone again, ‘the girl needs friends her own age—not a teacher who is pushing forty. Just be careful.’

‘Noted,’ Nate says through his teeth.

But I can see on his face that his mood has soured. I don’t know what he’s so upset about though. I’m just trying my best to protect him from ending up like Art Tuttle.”

The night that Eve and Nate see Addie while at a local restaurant, Eve is quick to warn Nate to stay away from her. On the surface, she seems to be protecting her husband and to have prejudged Addie based on what she has heard and seen of the scandal surrounding Art Tuttle. However, when it is revealed that Nate seduced Eve when she was a 15-year-old student, this moment takes on more significance. Eve, aware on some level that Nate continues to seduce young girls, warns him because Addie is troubled and capable of ruining his career and the appearance of their perfect life.

“The two of them kept shouting at each other in the hallway. It was my father who shoved Hudson first, right in his chest. I don’t know what Hudson would have done next. I don’t know if he had it in him to punch my father in the face, even though his hand was already balling into a fist.

As it turned out, though, I was the one who shoved my father back.”

This moment changed Addie’s life. Hudson and Addie’s father were fighting, and she pushed her father down the stairs, killing him. Addie has since learned about The Corrosive Effects of Secrets since this event ruined Addie’s relationship with Hudson. The traumatic death of her father caused Addie to reach out to and become dependent on Mr. Tuttle and led to the scandal that ruined his career. This moment, showing Addie’s capacity to commit murder and cover it up, adds tension to the possibility that Addie is the gravedigger from the Prologue.

“He throws the car into park, and for a split second, it almost feels like the two of us are on a date and he’s dropping me off at home at the end of the evening. It’s so preposterous, but at the same time, it feels that way. And for a moment, I almost feel like I’m supposed to lean in for a good-night kiss.

But that would be ridiculous.”

When Nate drives Addie home for the first time, she feels like they are on a date. This moment introduces the idea of romance between Addie and her teacher. While the idea of the goodnight kiss appears to be a vulnerable teenager’s fantasy, Nate has taken a personal interest in her and is allowing her to develop a crush despite his wife’s warnings. Addie’s use of the words “preposterous” and “ridiculous” indicates that Addie understands that her feelings are transgressive and that there should be a clear line in teacher-student relationships. This moment also complicates the rumors surrounding Mr. Tuttle; if Addie thinks that crossing the line with Nate is “preposterous,” perhaps she didn’t lure Mr. Tuttle into an inappropriate relationship.

“I look over at the bathroom door, where the shower is still going strong. I’ve been looking for that kind of passion from Nate for a long time. In so many ways, it was absolutely perfect. Exactly what I wanted, and I’m hopeful there will be more times like it in the future.

And yet something is bothering me about the whole thing.

Maybe I don’t love the fact that as soon as it was over, he started talking about Addie. And then jumped right into the shower.”

Nate’s manipulation is evident when he seduces Eve in order to coerce her into giving Addie a break after Eve catches her cheating on her midterm exam. That Nate uses Eve’s feelings for him to protect Addie illustrates the depth of his self-interest. If Addie gets in trouble and goes to the principal, Nate risks being unmasked. Despite her unhappiness in her marriage and her extramarital affair, Eve is still in love with her husband enough to fall under his spell when he shows her a rare display of passion.

“I thought I would be the one to have to make the first move, so I’m surprised when it is Mr. Bennett who lowers his lips onto mine. It’s the first time I have kissed a boy—well, a man. At first, it’s just his lips on mine. But then a few seconds later, his tongue enters my mouth. I always knew in my head that people kiss with tongue, but I never imagined how it would feel. At first, it feels super weird, like some alien object worming its way inside me, and I’m not sure I like it. I almost want to pull away, but he’s holding me tight, close to his body, and also, it would be lame to pull away. He’d be disappointed.”

Addie’s reaction to Nate’s seduction reflects her naivete and his manipulation. She clearly wants to explore a romantic relationship because she returns to the classroom after he sends her away. Her first reaction to his kiss shows her innocence and lack of sexual experience; those feelings are compounded by the age and power disparity because she fears disappointing him if she pulls away. Nate is not just a potential lover but also her teacher with the power to control her future in his English class as well as her success with the poetry magazine.

“He pulls a scrap of notebook paper from his pocket. I recognize his handwriting now, and I can see the scribbles on the page. Words he wrote just for me.”

Nate gives Addie a poem that he claims he wrote just for her. This poem, identical to the ones he gave to Kenzie and to Eve, symbolizes Nate’s manipulation of the young women he seduces. The poem gives Addie a reason to believe that Nate is in love with her and becomes an object of comfort to her when she and Nate are apart. However, the poem also proves to Kenzie that Addie and Nate are together because Kenzie recognizes it as the same poem Nate gave her.

“‘I know what I saw, Nate.’ I stop pacing to turn and glare at him. ‘Addie was in the bushes. She was watching me. Stalking me.’”

Eve misunderstands Addie’s purpose in coming to her house. She thinks that Addie dislikes her and is stalking her because of their interactions in the classroom. Eve’s misinterpretation suggests that she in denial of Nate’s ongoing predilection for seducing young women. Eve, distracted by Nate’s new attentions toward her and the passion they shared after Addie cheated on the midterm, conveniently ignores that Addie may be there to see Nate.

“But then something happens to make me forget all about the hand-holding. Something happens that makes hand-holding seem like…well, hand-holding. Something that makes me want to throw up the few leaves of my salad that I managed to choke down.

He’s kissing her.”

When Eve, seeing Nate kissing Addie, discovers that he has seduced a(nother) student, Eve must choose whether to turn Nate in. Eve understands The Corrosive Effect of Secrets; Nate’s secret has the power not only to destroy his relationship with Eve but also to ruin both their careers. This climatic moment will force Eve to do something about Nate and lead to the events that will bring the plot to a close.

“I stare at the words on the screen. If she were dead, I could still keep my job, and we could still be together. I read them five times before they vanish, and I am left wondering once again what he really meant.

If she were dead, I could still keep my job and we could still be together.

Well, it’s true. If Mrs. Bennett is the only one who knows about the two of us, then if she weren’t around…”

Nate manipulates Addie’s affection to plant the idea in her head that Eve’s death would allow them to be together and allow Nate to keep his job. Addie has already thought about how nice things would be if Eve were no longer around. Addie’s vulnerability to Nate’s suggestions and Addie’s murder of her father both foreshadow Addie’s attempt to kill Eve to please Nate.

“I haven’t been kind to Addie this semester, and now I feel a flash of guilt. She was struggling all semester in my class, and I could have done more to help her. I should have done more to help her. I resented her, because she destroyed the reputation of the man at the school who I looked up to the most, but ultimately, it wasn’t her fault.

That girl has been crying for help all year, and I could have helped her. My husband simply took advantage of her.

I’m going to make this right.”

Why Eve’s feelings toward Addie abruptly change is unclear until Eve reveals that Nate also seduced her when she was his 15-year-old student. Eve’s change in opinion endangers her because she decides that Addie needs help and that going to the principal is the only way to help her. Had she not changed her mind about Addie, Eve likely would not have entered into the conversation that causes Addie to hit her on the head with a frying pan.

“I don’t want to do it. I don’t want any part of this. But he’s doing this to help me. To keep me out of prison, so that he and I can be together like we have always wanted.

I’ll do anything he says.”

Addie reveals her motivation for agreeing to help Nate bury Eve’s body rather than call the police. Because of their unequal power dynamic, Nate manipulates Addie’s emotions to get her to do things that she knows are illegal. Because of her naive belief that they will be together after murdering Eve, Addie subverts her will to his. Covering up Eve’s supposed death parallels Addie covering up her role in her father’s death, but the similarities end there. Addie unintentionally killed her father to protect Hudson, and forcing Hudson to flee the scene with her was a result of shock and panic; hitting Eve with the frying pan was a consequence of Nate’s manipulation and seduction. Addie thinks that Nate is protecting her, but he’s only protecting himself.

“His car was here. He was here. He made it back to the car, then he took off and left. But why would he do that? He must’ve had a reason, but I can’t even begin to imagine what it was. But at least now I can find my way back.”

Addie realizes that Nate has abandoned her while they are burying Eve’s body. Nate’s control over Addie is so complete that she doesn’t consider that he might have left her so that he can blame her for Eve’s death. Instead, Addie decides that Nate has a good reason and trusts him despite the precarious situation he has placed her in. However, this moment foreshadows Nate’s discussion with the police in which he names Addie as a person who might want to harm Eve.

“’And is there anyone out there who might have wanted to hurt her?’

I hesitate on purpose.

She raises her eyebrow. ‘Mr. Bennett?’

‘I didn’t want to bring this up,’ I say, ‘but you’re going to find out sooner or later. There is one student of Eve’s who seems to have a grudge against her. Her name is Adeline Severson.’”

The moment that Eve is gone, Nate implicates Addie in Eve’s disappearance because she’s the only person other than Eve who can destroy his career. This betrayal demonstrates The Corrosive Effects of Secrets: either person can turn on the other and reveal the secret in a way that insulates themselves and blames the other. Because only Nate and Addie know what happened to Eve, Nate quickly acts to protect himself at Addie’s expense. Nate’s emotional attachment to Addie was only as deep as it needed to be to seduce and control her.

“I narrow my eyes at Kenzie. ‘How do you know he wrote me that poem?’

She starts chewing on her fingernail again. ‘Because he didn’t write it for you.’

‘Yes, he did. Trust me.’

‘No.’ She shakes her head. ‘He wrote it for me.’”

The revelation that Nate gave Kenzie and Addie the same poem opens Addie’s eyes to Nate’s manipulation. Up until this point, Addie has blindly trusted Nate, convincing herself that even though it appears that he is setting her up for Eve’s disappearance, he must have a good reason. However, Kenzie’s revelation proves to Addie that Nate has been using her.

“And then, as I take a step closer, the jack-o’-lantern moves.

What the hell?

Now it shifts even more violently, and a second later, a black bird shoots out of the top of the pumpkin. Is it…a raven? I startle, backing up against the kitchen counter as the bird flaps its wings, trying to escape from my kitchen. After a few failed attempts, it rests on top of the jack-o’-lantern for a moment, staring at me.

Nevermore.”

Someone, later revealed to be Eve, is using Nate’s favorite poem, Poe’s “The Raven,” to torture him. The poem tells the story of a man grieving the loss of his lover and the raven who visits him, emphasizing his grief with the word “nevermore.” The raven and pumpkin in Nate’s kitchen allude to the poem and Eve’s shallow grave in an old pumpkin patch, respectively. Eve wants to torture and manipulate Nate to avenge his attempt on her life, seduction of young women, and lies.

“Everything is dark. The last thing I remember is Nate’s fingers wrapped around my neck, squeezing. First he was choking me, and then I blacked out.

I can hardly move. My body feels like it’s wrapped in something—a sheet or blanket—which is keeping me still. And then there’s a layer of something else on top of that. Something cold and heavy.

And then I hear the sound of a shovel digging into the earth.”

Eve wakes up wrapped in a sheet on the night that Addie buries her. This moment reveals that Eve survived Addie and Nate’s attack, changes the direction of the plot, and foreshadows the revelation that Eve has been torturing Nate in his home. This moment also foreshadows a confrontation between Eve and Nate.

“I’m about to scoop in more dirt when Jay grabs my arm. He tugs me away, out of the earshot of my husband.

‘Eve,’ he says. ‘You’re going to kill him.’

I lift my chin. ‘I know.’”

Jay pulls Eve away to give her physical and emotional distance from what she’s about to do. When he clarifies that she will kill Nate, she answers by lifting her chin. The movement indicates that she is reclaiming her power and agency from years of manipulation, and she acknowledges that she understands what she’s doing. The Epilogue reveals that Jay is Hudson Jankowski, Addie’s childhood friend, so Jay/Hudson understands in this moment the emotional burden of being responsible for a death and wants to spare Eve what he’s experienced.