Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Silent Patient, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Empathy, Identification, and Boundaries
Tragedy and Destiny
Honesty vs. Deception
Childhood Trauma
Silence vs. “The Talking Cure”
Summary
Analysis
In his next therapy session with Alicia, Theo assures her that despite her attack, he is “not easily intimidated.” Alicia still says nothing, and Theo wonders if he’s made a mistake. So he tries a different tactic, defining himself as a “relational therapist.” He explains that just by sitting with Alicia, he is showing her “a great deal” about himself, from the color of his socks to his mannerisms.
Theo now consciously begins to break down the barrier between therapist and patient, suggesting to Alicia that they have more in common—and are in more similar circumstances—than she might realize. His claim to reveal himself further bolsters his self-presentation as an honest, open book of a man.
Themes
Theo points to his wedding ring, telling Alicia that he has been married for nine years to Kathy. He admits that though he loves Kathy dearly, he also sometimes hates her. Theo pushes Alicia to admit that a part of her hated Gabriel, but she vehemently shakes her head no. Instead, she pounds on the door until Yuri lets her out of the therapy room. Theo stews, realizing that Alicia’s silence is “like a mirror—reflecting yourself back at you. And it was often an ugly sight.”
For the most part, Theo has kept his work separate from his marriage. But now, the impact of Kathy’s betrayal makes its way into the therapy room, as he starts to view Alicia’s situation as a parallel for his own anger and “hate.” Even though she is silent, then, Alicia’s ability to be a “mirror” is a form of communication, causing Theo to see his own life in new ways.
Themes
