NW

by

Zadie Smith

NW: Visitation: Chapter 13 Summary & Analysis

Summary
Analysis
A little over a year later, Michel is busy with the computer, so Leah goes outside and runs into Ned again. They talk, then Ned leaves three pre-rolled joints on a windowsill. Leah smokes and hallucinates seeing her father, Colin. She tells him about her and Michel’s dog, Olive, pretending the dog is still alive, even though it died about a year ago in November. Leah doesn’t want her father to leave, but at last, Michel tells her the computer is free.
This jump into the future, while not revealing anything calamitous about Leah’s life, quietly hints that things have gotten worse for her. She and Michel are doing separate things, with Michel obsessed with whatever he’s looking at on the computer. Meanwhile, the death of Olive has left Leah even more alone, with only the memory of her deceased father to keep her company.
Themes
Class Identity and Social Mobility Theme Icon
Sex and Relationships Theme Icon