And how does Ms. Hempel's emerging understanding of all the affairs at her school and her own breakup with Amit affect her point of view regarding Ms. Duffy's experience?
And this perplexing ending: "... still she returned to the bathroom at Mooney’s, to its perfect mystery, to the moment when Mr. Polidori had wrapped his arms around her like a bear. That moment in which someone had made a decision. She wanted to remember how it felt."
(I really loved the description of how Ms. Duffy danced at the bar, how they were all there in the harsh light of afternoon but hidden in the freeing darkness of the bar ... I like how Ms. Hempel always seems rather amazed that anyone can get over anything that was once important).
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It's a very interesting ending. I think it's pretty complex. Certainly she is hurt by the rejection. But perhaps it also has something to say about her longing for something to change -- she is not capable of making any decisions that could change her life -- not running off, of course, but not even calling in sick, and not having an affair -- she describes the incident in the bathroom as something that happened to her, as though she had no say in it at all -- perhaps she wants to dispassionately examine Polidori's ability to decide to grab her, and decide just as quickly to let her go, and see whether she can learn to make decisions like that so that her life doesn't just keep happening to her without her input.
Yeah, I think that's a nice analysis. She is in many ways a very passive person. And passive plus passionate is kind of a melancholy equation.
Yeah, what an interesting scene at the end. It's funny how shocked she is to learn that various teachers have hooked up over the years, like she can't imagine the steps that lead up to that kind of action taking place. She thinks of everyone like she thinks of herself: stuck.
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