50 pages 1 hour read

Lauren Groff

Fates and Furies

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2015

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Part 2, Chapters 16-18

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Part 2: “The Furies”

Part 2, Chapter 16 Summary

After three years, Ariel crosses the line and Mathilde walks out on working at the gallery, just as she promised. Mathilde finds a new job at an internet dating site, but a bigger problem arises: she finds out she’s pregnant.

Mathilde doesn’t know what to do because she wants Lotto to be happy, but she also doesn’t want a child. In the wake of Lotto’s good news that he got cast in a small part after a long spell of no work, Mathilde doesn’t tell him about being pregnant and lets him go off to buy pizza and celebrate.

The upstairs neighbor, Bette, senses Mathilde’s distress and becomes a surprising ally in getting Mathilde options. They decide on an abortion and Bette helps Mathilde cope in the aftermath. What Bette thinks are feelings for her lost child are Mathilde’s worry over her betrayal and distance from Lotto.

Mathilde didn’t like that she was almost a mother and decides to get medically sterilized. She is able to do this without Lotto knowing, and with the help of Bette.

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