The Silent Patient

Theo gets home. Kathy is out, rehearsing for a production of Othello. Assuming she will be gone for at least a few hours, Theo sneaks a jar of marijuana out of its hiding place. He reveals that he smoked regularly in university but stopped when he met Kathy: “I was naturally high on love, with no need to artificially induce a good mood” (93), he explains. He also notes that Kathy views “stoners” as lazy. He restarted the habit, secretly and sporadically, after taking a puff of a joint at a party.

While getting high, Theo accidentally taps Kathy’s laptop and sees sexual emails between her and a stranger. Realizing that Kathy is having an affair, Theo vomits.

Theo is having another therapy session with Alicia. She still isn’t speaking, remaining “a silent siren, luring me to my doom” (99). Theo starts talking about himself. He asks Alicia whether she loved her husband. He notes that while he loves his wife, “love includes all kinds of feelings […] good and bad” (100). Theo insists that part of Alicia must have hated her husband. Seemingly enraged, Alicia storms out. Theo describes his behavior as inept, revealing more about his of mind than Alicia’s, and concludes “But that’s what Alicia did for you.