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Chapter 20: March 2, 2001
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in We Need to Talk About Kevin, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Guilt and Accountability
Marriage, Family, and Social Norms
Nature vs. Nurture
Idealism vs. Reality
Forgiveness and Empathy
Summary
Analysis
Shortly after the police come to the house, Eva decides to have an outing with Kevin. She decides that she can’t blame Kevin for refusing to talk to her if she never tries to talk to him herself, and so she plans a day for just the two of them that includes miniature golf and dinner. Kevin wears bright orange, and his shirt is so tight that it pulls back his shoulders, making him look handcuffed. They play miniature golf, and Kevin wins easily—his archery teacher says that he has impeccable hand-eye coordination. The time passes slowly, and Eva and Kevin barely speak. They go Christmas shopping, and Kevin accuses Eva of celebrating Christmas only for the fun parts of the holiday while passing on the “boring” religious parts. She agrees that this is true.
Kevin’s outfit foreshadows his arrest and imprisonment—he looks like he’s in handcuffs, and his orange outfit is reminiscent of a prison uniform. The detail about Kevin’s skill in archery might foreshadow the method Kevin uses to murder his classmates later on, as might the stellar hand-eye coordination he demonstrates while playing miniature golf.
Themes
Eva insists on going home before heading to dinner so that Kevin can change into more appropriate clothes. On the drive home, Eva makes a disparaging remark about fat people. Kevin comments that she’s overly critical. She responds that he is, too, and he says he picks it up from her. Eva realizes that every time she has the urge to make a comment, it really is something negative. At home, Eva changes into a pink silk dress. Franklin comments that the sensual style of the dress might make Kevin uncomfortable, but Eva responds that she just wants to dress nicely for the occasion. Eva enters the kitchen to find Kevin eating a whole cold chicken over the sink, even though they are about to go to a restaurant. At dinner, Kevin doesn’t order anything. Eva orders multiple courses for herself but feels uncomfortable eating alone.
Kevin’s comment that his overly critical nature comes from Eva may be one of the first impetuses for Eva to reflect on how her actions have influenced Kevin’s personality. It is perhaps strange that Eva chooses to wear a revealing dress to dinner with her son, and detail highlights the fact that Eva generally has an inappropriate relationship to Kevin. In any case, Eva’s desire to look nice gestures toward her pattern of seeking validation from her son instead of providing him with validation and emotional support.
Themes
Eva asks Kevin about school, but he refuses to engage in the conversation. He asks her why she doesn’t like America. Eva rants that Americans are spoiled and entitled. Kevin takes notes with a red crayon as she speaks. Eva feels like she’s finally connecting with her son. When she finishes talking, Kevin refers to his notes and explains how Eva herself embodies all the traits she hates about Americans. He criticizes her for being rich, ignorant, and entitled. Eva pays without responding, and they go home.
Kevin’s crayon is red—the color Eva associates with him and with the shame and humiliation he makes her feel. Eva finds this outing with Kevin devastating, which is the same way she felt when Kevin sprayed red ink on her maps, when Kevin commits mass murder, and when the neighbors vandalize her house with red paint after the murders. Also of note, Kevin may have criticized Eva just to make her feel bad, but his point about Eva’s anti-American attitude being hypocritical is somewhat valid.
Themes
Later, Eva decides to buy Celia a short-eared elephant shrew for Christmas. It is very expensive and hard to find, because it’s an imported endangered animal. Franklin buys Kevin a crossbow. One day, the shrew, whom Celia names Snuffles, disappears. Eva asks Celia if Kevin was playing with Snuffles, but Celia says she must have left the cage door open. Franklin and Eva stay up until 3:00 a.m. looking for it, but they don’t find it. Celia is absentminded, so Eva accepts that Celia simply forgot to close the door and Snuffles escaped. Later, Kevin and Celia’s bathroom sink clogs. Eva uses a clog remover to clear it.
Eva’s first thought is that Kevin did something to Snuffles, but she is quick to discard the idea. However, the clogged bathroom sink implies that Kevin may have killed Snuffles and disposed of his remains in the sink. Eva has already stated that she believes Kevin is dangerous, but she clearly isn’t yet aware of the level of violence that he’s capable of.
Themes
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