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Chapter 20
Themes
and Colors
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Shutter Island, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Mental Illness and Delusion
Conspiracy and Paranoia
Guilt and Grief
Violence and War
Isolation
Summary
Analysis
Dr. Cawley invites Teddy to join him; evidently, they have much to discuss. Teddy looks around the room and notices that Dr. Cawley has several important items related to the case, including Teddy’s notebook and Andrew Laeddis’s intake form spread out around him. Before Teddy can even think to use it, Dr. Cawley tells him that the gun he is holding is not loaded. The comment confuses Teddy, who checks the gun and realizes Dr. Cawley is telling the truth. Then, Dr. Cawley asks Teddy how much he hurt the guards posted around the lighthouse. Teddy assures him that they are fine. Nonetheless, Dr. Cawley radios one of his men and asks him to have Dr. Sheehan come and take a look at the injured guards.
Dr. Cawley’s surroundings look like he is about to present evidence to Teddy for reasons that are still unknown at this point. Meanwhile, the unloaded gun is yet another piece of evidence that Dr. Cawley was in control of the situation all along. He wanted to make sure Teddy did not pose a real threat to him and his men, so he armed them with guns that were not loaded. Additionally, this section confirms that Dr. Cawley lied about Dr. Sheehan, who has presumably been on the island all along, unless he arrived on the morning ferry.
Active
Themes
Teddy asks if Dr. Sheehan came in on the morning ferry. In response, Dr. Cawley says he has actually been on the island the whole time, hiding in plain sight. Teddy asks Dr. Cawley for a glass of water because his throat is starting to get dry. Teddy tells Dr. Cawley that he knows the orderlies have been poisoning him, which is why he has so many symptoms. In response, Dr. Cawley says Teddy is not suffering from poison; rather, he is experiencing withdrawal.
At this point, Teddy has no reason to trust Dr. Cawley; Dr. Cawley has lied to him every step of the way. However, his claim about withdrawal is convincing given Teddy’s symptoms and makes more sense than poison. The question then becomes, what is Teddy withdrawing from? Also, why doesn’t he know for sure whether this is the case?
Active
Themes
At first, Teddy thinks Dr. Cawley is playing a game with him. Dr. Cawley insists he has been medicating Teddy for two years, but Teddy knows that would be impossible, no matter how powerful Dr. Cawley is. Still, Dr. Cawley maintains it is the truth. Additionally, he tells Teddy that he has been a patient on the island for two years. Again, Teddy does not believe him.
Active
Themes
Dr. Cawley stands up and takes down a sheet from the wall to reveal a list of four names: Edward Daniels, Andrew Laeddis, Rachel Solando, and Dolores Chanal. The first two names and the last two names each have lines connecting them. Dr. Cawley points to the names and asks Teddy what they have in common. Teddy notes that they all have thirteen letters, but otherwise, he does not see a connection.
Active
Themes
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Dr. Cawley pushes Teddy to look deeper. He knows Teddy is a talented codebreaker and, therefore, should have no problem seeing the connection. However, Teddy insists he does not know what Dr. Cawley is getting at. In response, Dr. Cawley reveals that the names Edward Daniels and Andrew Laeddis have the same letters, as do Rachel Solando and Dolores Chanal. When Teddy hears this revelation, he does not want to believe it. However, Dr. Cawley does not care. He tells Teddy that the person he has been searching for the whole time—Andrew Laeddis—is himself.
