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Chapter 46. The Before
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Monday’s Not Coming, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Child Abuse
Family, Community, and Responsibility
Growing Up, Independence, and Friendship
Secrecy and Shame
Poverty, Social Support, and Desperation
Memory, Repression, and Trauma
Summary
Analysis
Claudia’s days of school, dance, chores, church, and homework seem to blur together. Weeks pass and sometimes, something happens that reminds Claudia of Monday—and she remembers what’s missing. She decides that Daddy is right. Monday is tired of her. Claudia decides to give up on Monday. One afternoon at the library, Michael whispers that Claudia seems quiet. Claudia snaps that she’s never loud and works on her Banneker essay. She keeps flashing on Monday’s journal entry. She wishes she’d never learned that Monday lied about so much. Whenever Claudia is alone without distractions, she remembers the buzz of the freezer and Monday’s room.
It may be less traumatic for Claudia to believe that Monday doesn’t want to be her friend anymore than it is to believe that Monday is dead. And to make everything worse, Claudia is still trying hard to move on from the trauma of discovering that some things about her friendship with Monday weren’t true, such as that Monday was wholly supportive of Claudia despite her dyslexia. The fact that Claudia still fixates on the freezer and Monday’s room shows that she hasn’t yet moved on from that traumatic evening at the Charles house.
Themes
Claudia mumbles an apology to Michael and digs for a pen in her bag. Flowers in the Attic falls out, and she explains to Michael that it’s Monday’s. She keeps forgetting to give it to Ms. Paul. Interested, Michael flips through the book and asks why Monday would read it. When Claudia notes that Monday read it multiple times, Michael is aghast. He explains that they made a Lifetime movie about it, which is how he knows the plot. It’s about four teens who are locked in the attic at their grandma’s house, and the grandma tortures the kids. The teens eventually start having sex, and the mom tries to poison the kids.
In Michael’s understanding, Flowers in the Attic is a dark, uncomfortable, and disturbing book. When he asks why Monday would read it, though, he encourages Claudia to think more critically about Monday’s motivations. This isn’t something Claudia has done up until this point—she made a point in earlier chapters to take Monday at her word and to not ask questions like this about Monday’s reasons for doing things.
Themes
Claudia agrees that that’s crazy and nasty and starts to ask what people would think if people saw Monday reading Flowers in the Attic. But then, she gasps and leaps up. She runs to the front of the library and shoves the book at Ms. Paul. She says it was Monday’s and Ms. Paul stares at the book like it’s disgusting. Claudia asks if there’s a way to see all the books a person has ever checked out. Ms. Paul says it’s an urban legend, but Monday asked her the same thing once. She explains that there’s only a record if a person checks books out online or if they lose books.
Claudia is still very concerned with what other people think; she wants both herself and Monday to look normal to others. But when it comes to Flowers in the Attic, Claudia realizes that Monday may have been concerned with the exact same things, for other reasons. Monday may have been trying to leave “breadcrumbs” by reading a book about child abuse, since all signs point to the fact that she suffered abuse at home.
Themes
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Claudia asks if she can see what Monday took out. She tells Ms. Paul she wants to read what Monday read. Ms. Paul insists that info is private, but Michael comes up and says it’d really help Claudia. Ms. Paul huffs, says it’s against policy, and types something. She says she’s going to get a cup of coffee and asks Michael to check out something wrong on her computer. As soon as she leaves, Michael takes Ms. Paul’s seat. Monday checked out Flowers in the Attic five times, in addition to many others that deal with child abuse like Perks of Being a Wallflower and Sharp Objects. Michael says that Monday must’ve been trying to tell people what was going on. Claudia realizes these are breadcrumbs—Monday thought the government was watching her.
When Ms. Paul allows Claudia to sneak a look at Monday’s library history, it shows Claudia that she has lots of people in her life who want to help her—and, perhaps, who want to help Monday as well. Claudia realizes now that Monday took Mrs. Charles seriously and believed the government did watch what books she checked out. But because the government doesn’t actually people’s library history, Monday’s breadcrumbs didn’t have their intended effect.
Themes
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Buzzing appears in Claudia’s head, as though the freezer is sitting right next to her. Michael asks Claudia if she remembers anything and Claudia thinks about the upstairs closet. Monday must’ve been in there. Claudia yells that she has to go back to Monday’s house. Michael suggests they talk to Ma and Daddy, but Claudia says they have to talk to Tip. He’s the only person who can file a missing persons report, and he works at the Maryland House. Michael sighs and gets on his phone. After a few minutes, he says his cousin can drive them to the Maryland House on Thursday, and Tip can drive them home.
Hearing the freezer buzzing in this moment is another indicator that Claudia is still experiencing trauma from her hours spent hiding in the Charles’s house. When Michal suggests they talk to Ma or Daddy, it indicates that he sees them as trustworthy, helpful people when it comes to solving this mystery. But to Claudia, who cares so much about making sure Monday is safe, the only option is to go to seemingly the only person who can help Monday: her dad.
Themes
It’s pouring on Thursday. Claudia and Michael climb out of the car at the Maryland House right off the highway. Claudia says she heard Tip worked at the gas station, so she and Michael head for the pumps. Claudia studies the attendants, but she doesn’t recognize any of the men. Michael frowns. He thought she’d remember what Tip looks like. But an older white man waves and tells Claudia and Michael to move away. Claudia steps up and says she’s looking for Tip—she’s his daughter, Monday. The man looks like he’s seen a ghost but explains that Tip doesn’t start work until six.
It's unclear why Michael would expect Claudia to remember Tip, since she’s never given any indication that she’s met him before. The man’s reaction when Claudia introduces herself as Monday also suggests that something is off here. It implies that Monday is either still missing or that the mystery is already solved—and Monday shouldn’t be able to come looking for her father so casually.
Themes
Michael steers Claudia into the min-mart, which opens into the main mall-like building. They decide to get Phillips Seafood and Michael pays. As they eat, Claudia admits she told Ma that she had an extra dance rehearsal to cover up this trip. Claudia knows Ma would be furious, but finding Monday is too important to not risk it. Monday would do the same. Michael asks Claudia what she’s going to say to Tip, but she says she’s winging it and doesn’t know.
Claudia is learning from her dance friends—using a dance rehearsal as cover is how Megan got to the mall with Kam earlier in the novel. Choosing to tell this lie to track down Monday, though, shows that Claudia is still holding onto the past rather than moving into the future by going on dates with boys like Megan does.
Themes
Michael laughs and says he’s always wanted to bring a girl to Phillips, though ideally not at a rest stop. His dad used to take his mom to Phillips, but now he just complains that there isn’t any good seafood in Dubai. Michael says he’s going to stay with Ms. Walker, but he’s going to miss his parents. Changing the subject, Michael asks about Claudia’s upcoming recital. Claudia brushes it off, but Michael has heard that it’s a big deal. He tells Claudia she’ll be fine, since she’s a great dancer. Claudia explains that she’s not excited because Ms. Manis chose a slow song for her, and she really wanted a fast song so she could use the dances she and Monday came up with.
It's worth noting the difference between how smooth Claudia and Michael’s conversation is here, and how stilted and awkward it was when they first met. This indicates that Claudia is becoming more comfortable connecting with people other than Monday and is learning the skills she needs to be able to make friends. Claudia also articulates here that she sees her dance solo as a way to commemorate her friendship with Monday. It feels impossible to do so to the song Ms. Manis chose for her.
Themes
Michael asks if this is why Claudia wants to find Monday, but Claudia says there’s more. She knows Monday is in trouble. This doesn’t feel like a lie. Claudia doesn’t need Monday—but she knows Monday needs her help. Michael asks if Claudia ever watches instant replays during football games and suggests she try to slow some of the moves down. Claudia refuses, but Michael suggests she try some out right now. Claudia knows Monday would take the dare, so she gets up and performs one set of moves quickly. Then, she slows it down and thinks of Megan and dancing at dance ministry. It feels good.
Something has started to shift in Claudia. She no longer talks about how Monday must’ve left her for mean, selfish reasons—she understands that she has to search for Monday because Monday needs help and support. And with this, Claudia is able to effectively think of what Monday would do and perform the dance moves in the restaurant. It also helps that Claudia’s friendship with Megan means that dancing isn’t solely connected to Monday—Claudia now has other dance friends.
Themes
With only a few minutes to go until Tip gets in, Claudia and Michael stand by the windows so they can watch for him. The storm picks up outside and Michael buys them both hot chocolate. Claudia teases Michael about putting sugar in the drink, but Michael says his coach made him stop. Claudia notes that it sounds like Michael has a bunch of people who are kind of like dads, so maybe his dad staying in Dubai won’t be so bad. Michael says that his dad is his best friend, though. Claudia gets this—nothing feels like spending time with Monday. Sighing, Michael brings up the party. Claudia waves him off and reminds him that they were drunk, but Michael says he wasn’t.
Michael and his many parental figures stand in contrast to Monday and her lack of support. While Michael has his dad, his coach, Claudia’s parents, Ms. Walker, and even the pastor at church, Monday didn’t have as many people looking out for her and pointing her in the right direction. This drives home just how disadvantaged Monday is—without that kind of a community to look out for her, it was all too easy for Monday to disappear.
Themes
Just as Michael leans forward to kiss Claudia, Claudia sees a man who resembles Monday jump out of a truck outside. Michael and Claudia watch as Tip approaches the white man at the pumps and, after a minute of conversation, throw his hands up and return to his car. Tip looks terrified as he unlocks the car and drives away while Michael shouts at him. Claudia sighs and asks how they’re going to get home now.
When Tip’s arrival interrupts Claudia and Michael’s kiss, it drives home that for now, finding Monday is more important to Claudia than embarking on a relationship. Tip’s reaction is disconcerting, especially since Michael truly believed that he and Claudia would be able to catch a ride home with Tip.
Themes
It’s now past 8:00 p.m. Claudia climbs out of the cab at the Baltimore train station and asks if they should call their parents, but Michael jokes that he’d rather let their parents kill them in D.C. than let their parents yell at them in a car. He grouses about Tip running away “like [they] were the police.” Claudia is still in shock. She reads that the next train to D.C. leaves in 10 minutes, so Michael leaves Claudia at the track and runs to buy tickets.
Michael is joking when he says he’d rather let their parents kill them in D.C.—but again, this kind of joke rings hollow given that Monday seems to be dead. Claudia’s willingness to call her parents, though, shows that she sees them as trustworthy adults who will care for her even when she messes up.
Themes
Claudia wonders where to take her search next, and she can’t figure out why Tip ran. She hears a newscaster’s voice asking viewers to identify a teenage girl’s body and looks up at a nearby TV. The newscaster says that it’s unclear how long the body has been in a Baltimore park, but the victim seems to be between 14 and 16 years old. Suddenly, everything seems clear to Claudia and she gasps Monday’s name. Michael returns with tickets and asks what’s wrong. Claudia says Monday is dead, but Michael looks to the TV and assures Claudia that the girl on it isn’t Monday. Claudia’s ears begin to buzz.
Now that Claudia realizes Monday is dead, everything seems clear to her—she should’ve realized long ago that she was looking for a body, not a living person. Michael’s reaction, though, is somewhat perplexing. He seems to be well aware that Monday is dead and, for instance, says with authority that the girl on the TV isn’t Monday. It’s unclear how he’d know this, or why he’d know already that Monday is dead when Claudia just figured it out herself.
Themes
Softly, Michael tells Claudia again that the girl isn’t Monday. They find lots of people in that park, but Claudia notes that Tip ran from them. Maybe Mrs. Charles wasn’t lying, and Monday did go to her dad’s house—and maybe Tip lied to Daddy about not seeing Monday. Michael’s face falls and he asks if she really doesn’t remember anything. He jumps when his phone vibrates; the congregation is looking for Claudia. Claudia insists they have to go to the police; they can’t identify Monday because no one knows she’s missing. Sadly, Michael apologizes, says he didn’t know, and says it’s time to call Ma.
To Claudia, everything suddenly makes sense and Michael’s attempts to soothe her seem misguided and even rude. When he asks if she doesn’t remember anything, though, it suggests that he and Claudia might not be operating with the same information—Claudia may have forgotten some important piece. Deciding to call Ma also suggests that Michael feels out of his depth here; he realizes that Claudia needs more support than he can give.
Themes
