Dreamland

Fiction | Novel | YA | Published in 2000

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Summary

Background

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Prologue

Part 1, Chapters 1-3

Part 1, Chapters 4-6

Part 2, Chapter 7

Part 2, Chapters 8-10

Part 2, Chapters 11-12

Part 3, Chapters 13-15

Character Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Part 3, Chapters 13-15Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Part 3: “Me”

Part 3, Chapter 13 Summary

Caitlin is placed at Evergreen Care Center starting the day after the party, where she engages in group activities, therapy, and visiting hours. She is distinct because of how many visitors she has, and while she is technically there because of the marijuana that was on her person, she is also receiving support for being a survivor of abuse. The first several days, Caitlin cries straight through.

Over time, Caitlin adjusts and begins enjoying the healing process. In her first therapy session with Dr. Marshall, she is worried about how to start, and Dr. Marshall emphasizes that Caitlin can tell things in a nonlinear way.

In the second week, Mrs. O’Koren brings Caitlin her dream journal, which has some photographs tucked in it as well. Caitlin looks at her self-portrait, which she took at the height of her abuse, and tears it into tiny pieces, struggling with her sense of self.

Each week, Caitlin sees different people as her visitors, and feels that she is establishing new relationships with each person. On many days, Caitlin has a positive sense of growth, though sometimes she still misses Rogerson.

Part 3, Chapter 14 Summary

It has been almost a month at Evergreen when Caitlin’s mother brings her letters from Corinna and Cass. Corinna’s letter describes her journey to California, and Caitlin feels glad she still has Corinna’s bracelets.

Caitlin waits a few days before she opens the letter from Cass, feeling worried about what could be inside. She processes it with her therapist, worrying that Cass has written something about how Cass is perfect and Caitlin is “the weaker one” (236). Dr. Marshall supports Caitlin to see it with more nuance, and Caitlin is able to think about Cass in a different light.

When Caitlin finally reads the letter, it is a thoughtful reflection on what happened for Cass that year, and how sad she is that Caitlin’s choices led to such a horrible outcome. Caitlin reads the letter three times and feels empowered by her sister’s love and support; she starts piecing back together her torn up self-portrait.

Caitlin still has bad dreams, many because Rogerson isn’t in them and she is panicked about where he is. She talks through her dreams with Dr. Marshall and feels that she is “making some real progress” (243).

Part 3, Chapter 15 Summary

Before leaving Evergreen on her last day, Caitlin takes a new self-portrait, aiming the camera in the same way as she had months before. She feels more herself, and when she returns home, feels connected to her family, who have arranged a viewing of all of her photographic portraits. The novel closes as Cass appears, and Caitlin is assured that she has “a story to tell now, that was mine, hers, and ours” (250).

Part 3, Chapters 13-15 Analysis

Caitlin’s healing journey is an important resolution to the fear and abuse of the earlier chapters. In particular, Dessen’s portrayal of Caitlin’s therapy sessions illustrate the ways that a supportive mental health practitioner can support a young person to transform their self-image. Dr. Murphy helps Caitlin tells her story in whatever way works for her, as well as helping Caitlin redefine how she thinks about relationships. It is through her work in therapy that Caitlin is able to see her mom and Cass differently, as well as be more honest about the significant toll that her relationship with Rogerson had on her mental health. Caitlin’s journey through her discussions with Dr. Murphy clearly emphasizes The Causes and Impacts of Dating Violence as she talks to Dr. Murphy openly and processes her dreams about Rogerson and the abuse. Dessen portrays Caitlin’s healing as directly related to her ability to discuss her vulnerabilities and fears, rather than locking these away as she does in earlier chapters.

Dreams and photographs both remain important external representations of Caitlin’s process. In her dreams, she feels her subconscious reacting to what has happened, and she wrestles with their meaning. Similarly, in her portraiture, Caitlin works to look at herself differently, which is best represented in her tearing up and taping back together her earlier self-portrait. Through dreams and photographs, Dessen creates metaphors for Caitlin’s journey. Both motifs mirror each other as things that are open to interpretation, symbolizing the nuance of a therapeutic process after experiencing abuse. Some parts of Caitlin’s growth are tangible, like her physical healing, and some are harder to grasp, like her process of becoming more open and honest about her feelings.

The twin letters from Corinna and Cass are one of the most important resolving events of the novel, as they support Caitlin to think about her future, and past, in a new way. On the one hand, Corinna’s letter gives Caitlin a vision of her friend’s beautiful adventure to California, opening up the possibilities ahead of Caitlin that she might not have imagined yet. Simultaneously, Cass’s letter gives Cass’s view of their family life and how it impacted her and concludes the theme of Visibility and Physical Appearances as Caitlin learns how Cass’s experience really felt for her sister. Through both letters, Caitlin is able to build her capacity to empathize with others and see beyond herself. Additionally, Caitlin starts redefining her connection with Cass, after understanding her sister as less-than-perfect. These nuances support Caitlin’s overall growth as she heals from trauma, and set the stage for a positive future.