Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Girl on the Train, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Women and Society
Gaslighting, Memory, Repression, and the Self
Addiction, Dependency, and Abuse
Secrets and Lies
Motherhood, Duty, and Care
Summary
Analysis
Monday, July 22, 2013. Rachel recalls what happened after Scott pulled her inside. He’d chastised her for coming by when reporters and police have been swarming the area—but he confirmed that the police had arrested Dr. Abdic. Scott trembled as he confided in Rachel that he had been waiting by the phone for grim news about Megan. Rachel apologized for coming by, but she also said she didn’t want Scott to be alone. Scott said he wasn’t alone; he called Scott’s mother into the room to introduce Rachel to her as the woman who told him about Abdic. Scott’s mother thanked Rachel for her help—and then Scott coolly asked Rachel to leave. As soon as Rachel stepped onto the sidewalk, she found herself face to face with Tom, Evie, and Anna.
Rachel’s newfound attachment to Scott is complicated by the fact that they are observed on all sides: by the authorities, by Scott’s mother, and by Tom and Anna, who constantly suspect Rachel of being up to no good. Rachel knows that her sudden presence in Scott’s life must raise suspicion—yet she can’t stop herself from feeling repeatedly drawn back to him and the mystery he represents.
Themes
