payment page
His voice is so kind and gentle, I start to wonder if maybe I imagined the whole thing. After all, he’s been such a good husband. Would he really lock me up in a room and make me pull out my hair? That doesn’t sound like something he would do. Maybe I just have a fever and this is all a horrible hallucination? No. It wasn’t a hallucination. It was real. I know it was.
This quote from Chapter Forty-One illustrates the theme of the power of psychological control through Nina’s internal conflict as she questions her own reality. Andrew's voice is so "kind and gentle" that it manipulates Nina into doubting her traumatic experiences. This passage reveals how deeply psychological control can distort a person’s perception, causing them to question their own sanity. The fact that she starts to wonder if she “imagined the whole thing” speaks to how effective Andrew’s psychological manipulation is—he makes her feel as though the abuse she experienced couldn’t possibly be real, gaslighting her into submission. This moment underscores the devastating impact of psychological control, which undermines a person’s sense of reality and leaves them vulnerable to further manipulation and abuse.
I hover at the entrance to the living room, trying to figure out what Nina could possibly be doing with a garbage bag. Does she want me to sort the garbage from now on, alphabetically and by color and odor? Have I purchased some sort of unacceptable garbage bag and now I need to re- bag the garbage? I can't even begin to guess.
This quote from Chapter Ten highlights the theme of the power of psychological control through Millie’s growing anxiety and confusion over Nina’s unpredictable demands. Millie’s sarcastic thoughts about sorting the garbage “alphabetically and by color and odor” reflect how Nina’s constantly shifting expectations have made her feel incapable of meeting even the simplest tasks. Millie’s exaggerated speculations reveal how Nina’s psychological manipulation has conditioned her to expect unreasonable demands, reinforcing the power imbalance between them. This passage demonstrates how psychological control doesn’t always involve overt abuse; it can manifest through the constant shifting of expectations, leaving Millie in a state of perpetual uncertainty and self-doubt. Because she never knows what is required of her, Millie is left feeling powerless, unable to meet expectations and avoid punishment. This highlights the insidious nature of psychological control, where the uncertainty and unpredictability create a suffocating mental prison.
I tried playing the part of the perfect wife, hoping not to give him an excuse to take me to the attic. I cooked delicious homemade dinners, kept the house spotless, and even pretended not to be repulsed when we had sex. But he always found something. Something I never would have even imagined I did wrong.
This quote from Chapter Forty-Six illustrates how Andrew’s manipulation renders Nina powerless despite her efforts to please him. Nina’s attempt to “play the part of the perfect wife” shows her desperate desire to avoid punishment by conforming to an idealized, submissive role. However, no matter how hard she tries—whether through cooking, cleaning, or even enduring sex she finds repulsive—Andrew always “found something” wrong. This reveals how his control over her is not based on her actual actions but rather on his desire to maintain dominance through unpredictable and arbitrary standards. The fact that Nina could “never have even imagined” what she did wrong emphasizes the extent of his psychological abuse, as he creates an environment where she is constantly at fault, reinforcing her helplessness and trapping her in a cycle of fear and doubt. This quote highlights how psychological torment can be just as damaging as physical violence, as it erodes a person’s sense of self and their ability to meet ever-shifting expectations.
