On a Quiet Street

“He’s lying to me. He forgot to be consistent. It’s a retirement party, Finn, you bastard, not a birthday party. It’s happening again. Who the fuck is C?”

In this quote, Cora realizes that Finn is lying to her about his plans for that evening. Glass foreshadows Cora’s eventual divorce of Finn by portraying her internal accusatory monologue that she doesn’t yet have the strength to say out loud. Although he has frequently dismissed her suspicions as “paranoid,” she now has evidence of his infidelity.

“It was too good to be true. I should have known it was all a little too fairy-tale to be real and something would ruin it.

But shortly after I moved to this country that I have no business being in, the terrible night happened, and everything changed. I changed.”

Nicola is highly aware of how she was gradually entrapped in an abusive relationship by her husband, Lucas. This quote hints at troubles in her marriage long before the full extent of her captivity is revealed. This is an example of backshadowing, as something referred to early is not fully explained until later in the text.

“Paige never talks to me about Caleb. I mean, I know that she is certain it was murder and that she suspects all the neighbors and spies on everyone for clues, but she never talks about him.”

Despite Paige and Cora’s closeness, Paige is still brittle after the murder of her son, Caleb. It is such a sensitive subject for her that Paige rarely talks about Caleb’s life even with her best friend, Cora. This underscores the effect of Glass’s use of multiple perspectives: while Cora has less knowledge of Paige, the third-person limited chapters focusing on Paige provide more detail about her state of mind.

“Nobody is interested in who you’d like to stick your dick in, she thinks. But that’s really what a comment like that implies, and it takes a certain kind of person—maybe a narcissistic one—to freely make these sorts of proclamations to make those around them feel uncomfortable.”

Paige reflects on how Finn, Cora’s husband, makes sexually inappropriate comments when Cora is not around. Glass uses crass, graphic language, “stick your dick in,” both to convey the magnitude of Paige’s feelings and to juxtapose what Paige feels inside with how she must act around others. Each of the protagonists in the text feel obliged to hold in their feelings, while their male counterparts speak openly while making others “uncomfortable.” 

“He needed people to meet me and see us happy, see that I was a real person—at least a few coworkers and some family. Then, when I supposedly became ill, he had their sympathy, and it didn’t seem odd that they’d never met this ill wife who never leaves the house. They’d met a happy, normal person who became ill; he crafted it carefully. With each turn, he made sure he dropped clues about my instability to make him look like the selfless, long-suffering husband. Once the groundwork had been laid, everything changed overnight. I went from giddy newlywed to this.”

In this quote, Nicola describes step-by-step how Lucas crafted a story to ensure that people would think that she was “unstable.” This passage highlights how Forms of Control in Abusive Relationships intersect with Accusations of Mental Illness to Dismiss Women’s Claims.

“As I walk back across the street to our house, I pause and look over at Georgia’s. I want to stop. I want to dismiss the paranoia that always gets me in trouble, but…she should be back. He shouldn’t be home. Something feels wrong.”

This passage represents an important turning point in Cora’s character development. Previously, she had largely internalized Finn’s accusation that she is “paranoid.” In this moment, she begins to trust her instincts—in this case, about Lucas’s violent tendencies.

“‘I’m not that guy,’ he says. Liar. ‘So if you wanna tell her, go ahead. I’ll deny it, and you’ll lose a friend.’”

‘Wow,’ Paige says. ‘You sure about that?’”

This dialogue comes from Paige and Finn’s discussion following their sexual encounter in the bathroom. Finn attempts to use the same methods of dismissal and denial to discredit and threaten Paige that he uses with Cora. However, Paige is prepared for this and Glass shows Paige’s strength when she refuses to back down. The internal interjection of “[l]iar” reinforces her desire to punish him, epitomizing the insight provided from the limited perspective.

“His wife died in an undetermined drowning. I want to call Paige immediately. She was there when he came over. She saw his eyes go dark.”

In this quote, Cora discovers that Lucas had been married before marrying Nicola and that his first wife died. This confirms Cora’s suspicions about Lucas, and she wants to reach out to Paige to share her beliefs. The fact her first instinct is to reach out to Paige is an example of Female Friendships as a Source of Strength in the narrative.

“My decision is made. I’m just gonna go.

I may never have this chance again.”

Despite her dangerous circumstances, Nicola makes multiple attempts to escape from her abusive relationship. Her acknowledgment that she “may never have this chance again” builds tension in the rising action as the stakes are high.

“I look up at him, and I don’t know who kisses who. We move in to each other at the same time. It’s not the passionate, against-the-wall, clothes-ripping sort of thing I had let myself fantasize about a few times until my guilt shut it down. It’s impossibly soft and tender. Like two people who love each other rather than unfaithful spouses in the throes of a heated affair.”

Cora and Grant come close to having an affair in the midst of the narrative. Cora, who has been ignored and belittled by her cheating husband, and Grant, who is lonely living in a small apartment above his restaurant, feel drawn to one another. Glass heightens the soft nature of the moment by juxtaposing the kiss with passion, described in violent terms: “against-the-wall, clothes-ripping.” However, despite Cora’s feeling that they kiss “like people who love each other,” it later becomes evident they were temporarily drawn to each other by their sad circumstances and not out of a deep-seated love for one another.

“Paige has taken a lot of steps to get what she wants, but this will set in motion something nobody is expecting.”

This passage is another example of backshadowing, as it alludes to the events that unfold after Paige meets with Finn’s mistress, Charlotte. In this meeting, Paige learns that Finn was meeting with someone else whose name begins with C the night that Paige’s son was murdered, because Charlotte was out of town. This leads her to realizing that Finn was planning to meet with Caleb.

“Because I think he killed my son. In fact, I’m pretty sure of it. The only reason I’d go near the son of a bitch with a ten-foot pole is to get the information I need. And I need this.”

This is the first moment in the narrative when Paige expresses why she has been pursuing Finn so avidly. It initially seemed like she was doing it on behalf of Cora, then out of a real sense of desire for Finn. Here, Paige’s real intentions are revealed, providing a plot twist that anticipates the twists to come.

“‘So Caleb Moretti, he gave me that joint back in January. Well, he gave a lot of people more than joints. He was kind of the guy to go to for that sort of thing…’ she says, and I don’t want to stop her, but I’m so absolutely shocked, my hand flutters to my heart.”

In this passage, Cora learns from Mia, that Caleb was the person selling drugs in the neighborhood. Cora is shocked at this revelation, because Caleb seemed like such an upright young man. The difference between Caleb’s outward presentation and his private life represents the fact that life in Brighton Hills is not as perfect as it looks.

“‘He’s holding me there. He won’t let me leave,’ I say, and I see the realization of it all hit her—why I never go anywhere and don’t socialize or drive or anything—that I’m not a recluse, I’m a prisoner.”

Here, Nicola reveals to Cora the extent of her abuse and captivity. Unlike the police, who dismissed Nicola’s claims because Lucas insisted that she was “unstable,” Cora immediately believes Nicola. This is an example of Female Friendship as a Source of Strength.

“She looks small and ghostly, like someone who’s lost everything in a matter of moments, which is exactly what she is. The seething anger Paige came into this with is making way for something else: absolute heartbreak for Cora.”

This quote describes the moments after Paige reveals to Cora evidence of Finn’s infidelities and Paige’s suspicions about Finn’s involvement in Caleb’s murder. Although Paige is furious, she empathizes with Cora’s pain at the realization and goes to comfort her heartbroken friend. This is another scene that highlights Female Friendships as a Source of Strength.

“He doesn’t say anything, but the look on his face does.

‘Oh. I see.’ And I do, I get it, and I hate that it stings so bad. ‘A different woman altogether. You literally just have a completely other life. A double fucking life I never saw all these years,’ I say, fully defeated, and I sit back down on the couch and stare at the plush white area rug under my feet.”

In this dialogue, Cora finally confronts Finn with the evidence of his infidelities. Despite her anger, heartbreak, and disappointment, Cora still had feelings of affection for her husband. The “plush white area rug” hiding the carpet underneath is a symbol of the wealthy, suburban veneer of perfection that hides a darker truth.

“‘Why are they searching my house?’

‘Finn,’ she says. ‘They arrested him.’”

In this dialogue, Paige informs Cora that the police have arrested Finn on suspicion of the murder of Caleb based on the evidence Paige provided them. This is a pivotal moment in the revelation of the mystery.

“By the sixth time I watch, I see something that changes everything. I email the video to myself. I cannot believe what I have seen. It’s not Finn. Finn didn’t kill Caleb.”

Cora snoops on her daughter’s computer and finds a video of the night of Caleb’s death and sees something that “changes everything.” This backshadowing builds suspense and tension, because it is not revealed until the next chapter what Cora saw in the video: the Kinneys’ car driving away from the scene.

“‘Please. Please, Cora, you have to understand that it wasn’t intentional. I never meant to kill him. That’s not what happened,’ I say, and she stands frozen with her mouth open.”

In this passage, Nicola confesses to Cora that she killed Caleb by running him over with her car. This confession was not what Cora was expecting when she presented Nicola with evidence that her family car was at the scene of the murder; she had presumed that Lucas killed Caleb. This is an example of one of the many plot twists in the narrative.

“‘He was out of his mind. Then—I couldn’t believe it—but he fired. He was so shaky and messed up, he missed by a mile, but then he cocked the gun again and used both hands to position it, aimed at me, so I just…’ I can’t stop the wail creeping up my throat. ‘I just pushed on the gas!’ I cry.”

Nicola explains to Cora her motivation for killing Caleb in this quote. Nicola was in fear for her life, and the diction that Glass uses to describe Nicola’s “wail,” “creeping,” suggests that she still feels a sense of danger. This shows that Caleb and Nicola’s relationship was characterized by an abusive dynamic.

“Finn sits in jail for something he didn’t do, and we can’t turn in the person who did do it. What have we done?”

In this passage, Cora reflects on the difficult situation. She feels that they cannot turn Nicola in for the murder because it would result in Lucas killing Nicola when it is revealed that Avery is Caleb’s daughter, but she also doesn’t want her husband to go to prison for something he didn’t do, despite his infidelities. The open-ended question builds tension before the climactic confrontation with Lucas, as it is not yet clear that anything can be done.

“But she and Cora and Nicola have made a vow that the truth would stay between them. With every other person who knows the truth comes a higher risk of it all falling apart, and she will not lose Avery. Not for anything.”

Paige eventually reveals to her husband, Grant, that Avery is Caleb’s daughter. However, she does not tell Grant the whole truth about his murder. Paige, Cora, and Nicola are bound together by their secret and held to that pact by their friendship. Glass uses the motif of children to heighten the gravity of the moment when Paige mentions Avery, since the protagonists’ relationships with their children illustrate their determination.

“I feel elated. I know it’s not over, but I am a little more than cautiously optimistic.

And then, just as Avery looks up at me, flexing her little hands inside the knitted mittens I’ve dressed her in, I feel a sharp explosion of pain on the side of my head, and the world goes black.”

This passage comes from one of the most significant plot twists in the narrative. Just as Nicola feels that she has escaped from her husband’s abuse after he is arrested for the murder of Caleb, he returns and attacks her. It is a jarring shift in imagery from a happy baby to pain and darkness.