The Last Party

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of child death, death by suicide, child abuse, emotional abuse, and animal death.

This chapter is narrated by Perla Wultz and opens with a quote from a woman named Cheryl Higgins, a waitress at a diner called Tony’s Truck Stop. The quote reads, “That family stuck out right from the start. We were all looking at them, even before it happened” (1).

Perla; her husband, Grant Wultz; and their 11-year-old daughter, Sophie Wultz, are having a meal at a greasy-spoon diner. Their wealth makes them stand out from the diner’s mostly working-class crowd. As Grant talks about his birdwatching hobby, an uninterested Perla watches a woman named Bev at another table. Her internal monologue reveals a mean and cynical perception of the people around her. Perla silently judges Bev’s appearance, thinking that “she could use some fillers” (1). Suddenly, Bev falls to the ground, choking.

When Bev’s friend calls for a doctor, Perla raises her hand. She successfully performs CPR on Bev, enjoying how her actions draw the attention of the other diners. As the restaurant breaks into applause, Perla looks at Grant, whose face is “dark with anger” (3).