Gaslighting

The author uses the theme of gaslighting to demonstrate how Josie exhibits control over the narrative and attempts to keep people involved in what Josie believes is true.

As the novel opens, Josie is reflecting on her life as Josie celebrates her birthday. It is reasonable to meet a character turning forty-five and witnessing the character thinking that parts of their life did not turn out as planned. Josie thinks about what might have been and decides to make changes in her life.

In the Prologue, Josie is not identified as the person telling Nathan to “’Drink that. Drink it all down’” (2). However, later in the novel, the reader is given enough context to know that this is Josie. At the outset, Josie is telling the reader to believe everything that Josie says. Josie is gaslighting the other characters and attempting to gaslight the reader as...