Shutter Island

by Dennis Lehane

Shutter Island: Chapter 15 Summary & Analysis

Summary
Analysis
Fred asks Teddy and Chuck to help him bring the subdued patient back to his cell. They lift the patient and follow Fred deeper into the ward. On the way, Fred tells them the ward's generator failed earlier that morning and released all patients from their cells because their cell doors are electronic. Luckily, Fred and the other guards have managed to round almost everyone up. One of the key people they are still missing is the man who kept playing tag with Teddy. Teddy tells Fred where he last saw the man, and Fred goes looking for him after they place the subdued patient in his cell. Teddy asks Fred to send a doctor for the patient with the broken nose. Fred acts irritated at the request but promises Teddy he will do his best.
As it turns out, Dr. Naehring’s fears came true and now many lives are in danger. Ashecliffe is a hospital full of dangerous criminals and Ward C are supposedly the most dangerous of the bunch. However, for the time being, Fred is by far the most violent person Teddy and Chuck have met in the ward. He also does not appear to care about the damage he caused to the patient and would not have helped him at all if Teddy and Chuck did not force him to. This raises questions about how ethically the guards treat the patients on Shutter Island in general.
Active Themes
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Violence and War Theme Icon
After Fred leaves, Chuck and Teddy split up so they can explore more of the building. They promise to meet one another in 15 minutes to discuss what they have learned. Teddy follows some guards leading a prisoner back to his cell. After placing the man in his cell, the guards spot another and take off after him, leaving Teddy alone. From a nearby cell, Teddy hears someone whisper, "Laeddis." He looks around but cannot figure out where it originated. Then, he hears the name again. Eventually, Teddy finds the source of the voice; the man is hiding in the corner of his cell with his face obscured. The man tells Teddy that Teddy was supposed to save him and get him off the island. Teddy asks who the man is, and the man says he is surprised that Teddy does not know him after all their conversations.
This is the first time in the novel someone brings up the name Laeddis without Teddy mentioning it first. The mere utterance of the name lends Teddy some credibility, though the fact that it came out of the mouth of someone in Ward C limits this point. Regardless, the man appears to know Teddy and, assuming he is not mistaken, one would assume they met before Teddy came to Shutter Island. However, because his face is hidden in shadows and his voice is quiet, Teddy cannot discern who he is talking to. As far as the reader knows, Teddy has never met Laeddis, so it does not seem to be him.
Active Themes
Mental Illness and Delusion Theme Icon
Teddy asks the man to lift his head so he can figure out who he is talking to. The man refuses and instead tells Teddy that his search was "never about the truth." Teddy assures the man he wants to find the truth, but the man does not believe him. He thinks everything Teddy is doing is all about him and Laeddis. As he says this, the man turns around and shows Teddy a beaten and bruised face. When Teddy asks the man what happened, he responds, "You did this."
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Still confused, Teddy asks the man to explain himself. In response, the man approaches his cell bars, and Teddy realizes it is George Noyce. Noyce accuses Teddy of lying about wanting to expose Shutter Island. Noyce thinks Teddy has doomed him and everyone else on the island to avenge a personal vendetta. Teddy continues to deny Noyce's accusations and asks him how he got sent back to Shutter Island. Noyce leans in as if to tell Teddy a secret and then spits in his face.
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Then, Noyce tells Teddy that Dr. Cawley's specialty is male patients with a history of violence. He suggests that because society does not care about such people, it is easy for Dr. Cawley to get them shipped to Shutter Island. Teddy is confused and still does not fully understand how they managed to get Noyce back on the island. Rather than answer Teddy's question directly, Noyce responds, "Don't you get it? Everything you were up to. Your whole plan. This is a game. A handsomely mounted stage play. All this […] is for you."
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Conspiracy and Paranoia Theme Icon
Quotes
Teddy starts to think Noyce is just as insane as everyone else in the ward. He asks Noyce how Dr. Cawley and his team could have anticipated the hurricane if everything that is going on is truly all for him. Noyce admits that he cannot explain the hurricane but asks Teddy to consider everything else that has happened since he arrived on the island. In particular, he asks him if he has ever been alone since stepping foot on the island. Teddy says he has been alone with his partner plenty of times. In response, Noyce correctly guesses that Teddy's partner is someone whom Teddy had never met before arriving on Shutter Island.
Active Themes
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Conspiracy and Paranoia Theme Icon
Isolation Theme Icon
Teddy tells Noyce that he trusts Chuck but internally acknowledges that he has no good reason for doing so other than he likes the man and would sacrifice his life for him if he had to. Noyce tells Teddy that if he trusts Chuck, Dr. Cawley and his team have already won. Then, Noyce begs Teddy to save him before Dr. Cawley and his men take him to the lighthouse and have him lobotomized. Teddy promises to do everything in his power to save Noyce.
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Conspiracy and Paranoia Theme Icon
Noyce tells Teddy that, to expose the truth, he cannot kill Laeddis because doing both would be impossible. Teddy asks Noyce where to find Laeddis, but Noyce will not tell him, even when Teddy promises not to kill him. He also tells Teddy that he needs to let go of Dolores and move on. Teddy says he cannot let go of Dolores; she is still a part of him. In response, Noyce tells him he will only leave the island if he can let go. Realizing his pleas might be useless, Noyce tells Teddy to go to the lighthouse because that must be where Dr. Cawley and his men are holding Laeddis if he is not in Wards A or C.
Active Themes
Mental Illness and Delusion Theme Icon
Conspiracy and Paranoia Theme Icon
Quotes