61 pages • 2-hour read
So Far Gone
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Chapters 3-4Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Content Warning: This section of the guide features discussion of graphic violence, substance use, emotional abuse, racism, and mental illness.
Chapter 3 Summary: “What Happened to Chuck”
Back at the Rampart, Chuck realizes that he should have gone with Rhys and the kids. He holds his ground, however, against Pastor Gallen, making him aware that he has a gun to defend himself.
The ATV and a pickup arrive at the compound, bringing Dean and another militia member named Matthew into the standoff. Once Dean understands that Chuck came with Rhys to take the children, Dean goes to the back of the pickup to retrieve his weapons. Chuck orders him to stop, shooting his gun at the truck tire to intimidate him. The standoff becomes more tense as Matthew draws his own gun at Chuck. Gallen tries to defuse the tension, but Matthew’s gun goes off and hits Chuck in the hip. Matthew drops his own gun, regretful of what he’s done. Gallen administers first aid on Chuck’s wound and assesses that Chuck will be fine since the bullet did not hit a vital artery. Chuck requests that they call a helicopter to bring him to Spokane and lend him a phone to call Lucy.
On the road, Leah asks Rhys about the bedtime stories he used to tell Bethany. Many of the stories Rhys used to tell were thinly veiled allegories for the environmental issues he was covering at work, often resolving themselves with a magical happy ending. He gives Leah an example, telling the story of a rabbit who becomes anthropomorphized after consuming chemicals that spilled from a train wreck. The rabbit warns the other animals not to consume the chemicals and gets their help to contain the spillage. When the humans arrive to clean the spillage, the rabbit advises them to test nearby areas for contamination. The story ends with the rabbit returning to its natural form. Rhys remembers that Bethany always interpreted his story endings in sad ways, believing that the rabbit died of contamination. He suspects that this is how she started losing faith in his ability to protect her.
Leah reassures Rhys that Bethany is okay. Rhys finds her statement suspicious and realizes that Bethany may have told Leah where she was going. Leah is reluctant to say anything more because she made a promise to her mother.
Rhys determines that he needs to leave the children at Brian and Joanie’s house for their protection. At Asher’s prompting, Joanie explains that Brian is a member of the Interior Salish Indigenous group and describes his ancestors’ way of life to Asher. This leads to a conversation about the stars, during which Asher admits that he doesn’t always believe his church’s explanations about the natural world. Asher knows it upsets Leah for him to say things like this because, according to David Jr., it undermines the possibility that God ordained the science behind the natural world. Armed with a rifle, Brian prepares to accompany Rhys to the hospital, which Joanie protests because she doesn’t want him to get involved in Rhys’s trouble. Before leaving, Rhys promises Leah that he won’t tell anyone what she told him about Bethany.
Rhys arrives at the hospital emergency room and witnesses a young mother standing frozen at the door with her child, who needs to be treated for burns. A nurse talks the mother into bringing her child inside the room. Rhys bumps into Lucy, who reports that Chuck is preparing for surgery. Lucy gets upset with Rhys for indulging Chuck’s mania, having trusted that Rhys would have the good sense to talk Chuck down when Chuck suggested infiltrating the Rampart. Because Chuck has no one to take care of him, the burden now falls on Lucy, for which she resents Rhys.
On their way to see Chuck, Rhys tells Lucy that he plans to go after Bethany, now that he’s learned her location from Leah. Chuck is conscious, though sedated because of his pain medicine. He assures Rhys that he is okay. Rhys still regrets the part he played in getting Chuck injured. Chuck shrugs it off as a necessary outcome. Rhys returns Chuck’s cellphone and the keys to his truck. He indicates that Chuck has many missed calls and messages, suggesting that many people care for him. Rhys leaves when the doctor arrives to begin the procedure.
Heading out of the hospital, Rhys sees two police officers talking to the young mother he saw earlier. Because the child’s burns were chemical in nature, the officers suspect that the mother, Lisa, may have a meth lab in her house. Lisa is afraid that she will lose her child. She and Rhys meet eyes before he exits, causing him to cry as he thinks of Bethany.
Rhys rejoins Brian, who asks about his emotional state. Rhys reports that he is distraught to be at a hospital again, remembering his own mother, as well as Celia. Brian sympathizes, then reassures him with the Salish phrase, “X̣est sx̣l̓x̣al̓t” (140), which means “Good day.” They set out to look for Bethany.
Chapter 4 Summary: “What Happened to Bethany”
The novel flashes back to 2002. Bethany is a high school sophomore, skipping class while high with her best friend, Monica, and Monica’s boyfriend’s stepbrother, Connor Brand, whom Bethany has a crush on. After smoking some marijuana that is stronger than anything Bethany and Monica are used to, the group stops at Bethany’s house so that Bethany can make Connor a sandwich.
Because they have skipped computer science class, Monica urges them to return to school in time for English class. Connor asks if they can wait until he has finished eating his sandwich, so Monica abruptly leaves. Connor asks Bethany if they can go to her bedroom, then comes forward to kiss her. They continue kissing until Bethany hears someone on her front porch and believes her parents have arrived. Connor and Bethany escape through the back garden and resolve to return to school. When they drive past the house in Connor’s car, Bethany makes eye contact with her father and registers that the woman with him isn’t her mother.
The novel jumps to April 2020. Bethany, now a part-time teacher, tells the story of her father’s infidelity to her therapist, Peggy, in an online meeting. Bethany establishes this as the moment her relationship with her father began to feel troublesome. She recalls how, later that day, her father came home and said nothing about what happened that afternoon. Twice, Peggy asks how those events made Bethany feel. Bethany explains that she was anxious, confused, and angry. After the incident, Bethany’s loyalties shifted toward her mother, and she started to realize how much Rhys was like all the other boys who made her feel uncomfortable every day. Bethany never told Celia what she saw because she wasn’t sure that what she had seen was definitive proof of an affair. Two years after the incident, Rhys and Celia sought a divorce while Bethany was away at college.
Peggy ties the incident and its impact on Bethany’s relationship with Rhys to Bethany’s recurring desire to escape her relationships. Bethany had taken Leah and abruptly left Doug when she realized that he could not support them as a professional bass player. She has been feeling this desire again in her relationship with Shane, now that Shane is becoming increasingly zealous with his religious beliefs and using them to motivate militaristic behavior. Bethany asks Peggy to explain her interpretation directly. Peggy suggests that Bethany is mimicking Rhys, running away from difficult situations because that is what he did when his marriage to Celia became challenging and when he punched Shane on Thanksgiving. Bethany runs from men when they begin to remind her of her father. Bethany is quietly shocked by Peggy’s insight and feels the compulsion to confront her father over what she saw.
Three days later, Bethany takes her children with her and drives to Spokane, first to visit Celia and then to visit Rhys. She stops Shane from going with her because Shane, who believes that the COVID-19 pandemic is a global conspiracy, refuses to observe quarantine protocols. She also wants to avoid a confrontation between Shane and Rhys. When they reach Rhys’s house, he is demolishing his grandfather’s barn. Bethany is shocked by how lean and clear-eyed Rhys looks.
Rhys invites Bethany inside, forgetting about quarantine protocols. Bethany keeps her distance from him for his sake. Rhys explains his project to erase all traces of his existence from his family’s land. Remembering how she previously aspired to become a writer like Rhys, Bethany asks if Rhys is still writing. Rhys says that he is still getting ready for his next project, for which he has produced 2,000 pages of notes. Rhys entertains Asher’s question about fish in the nearby creek by explaining how the fish disappeared when the groundwater dried up. Rhys asks his grandchildren about school, leaving Bethany to wonder how she can ask Rhys about the day she witnessed his affair. She realizes that Rhys’s self-exile is the answer to her question: there is no point in confronting him because he is more interested in erasing himself from the world than he is in mending his relationships. Rhys, she believes, is too selfish to care about what she saw and how it affected her.
Rhys talks about the challenges of generating solar energy and storing it for future use. Only then does Rhys remember to ask them about their lives. He learns that Shane is doing okay as a truck deliveryman, and he expresses regret for his “reactiveness” the last time he saw Shane. Rhys’s diplomatic tone irritates Bethany and makes her feel the urge to escape again. Rhys tells Bethany that she seems like a great parent to her children, but this tepid praise only stings her further. She asks Rhys if he plans to return to civilization. Rhys indicates that he cannot return until he figures out his book project, which he explains is an Atlas of Wisdom that looks at all of philosophy through the lens of naturalism and environmental philosophy. His description of the project moves Bethany, reminding her of how she admired him when she was a child. It is quickly overtaken by the negative feelings she had for him as a teenager, believing that he was disappointed in her bad judgment. She realizes then that Peggy wanted her to see the hollowness of Rhys’s character, hoping that it would convince her to stop emulating his desire to escape.
Asher prompts Bethany to keep her promise to go home at an appointed time. Rhys comments that Leah sounds exactly like Bethany did as a child, which stings her again. Before she leaves, Bethany asks him about the day she saw him on the porch. She doesn’t mention the other woman, but she asks if Rhys saw her. Rhys doesn’t remember that day. Though they tell each other they love each other, Bethany sees that Rhys doesn’t wait to see them off as they leave.
The novel jumps forward to the present day. Rhys and Brian cross the Canadian border to reach the Paititi Music Festival, where Doug’s acid electronica band, The Boofs, is scheduled to play two songs that Bethany wrote several years earlier. The festival is in a remote area in the woods. Rhys and Brian have problems finding their way to it and have to consult a gas station attendant for directions. The attendant also explains that the festival is known as a popular event for recreational drug use.
When they finally reach the festival, they feel uncomfortable around all the “hippies” in attendance. Brian parks his car in an unauthorized zone, drawing the attention of a festival official called Jeff. Rhys explains that he is urgently looking for his daughter. He asks where he can find The Boofs. Jeff misinterprets his request and thinks he is talking about a form of drug consumption called “boofing,” in which the drugs are administered through the rectum. When he realizes they are talking about a band, Jeff redirects them to the Inkarri, the festival mayor. He explains how the hierarchy of authority at the festival is based heavily on ancient Incan culture. Finally, Jeff realizes that the band they are talking about is actually called The Buffs, who are scheduled to play in 40 minutes. He offers to take them to the stage where they will perform.
Bethany wakes up to an anxiety attack in her sleeping bag. Bethany’s anxiety attacks have become more frequent since the death of her mother. She tells Doug, who suggests that she should go to the hospital. Bethany answers that she will manage her anxiety herself, but she appreciates that Doug cares for her. Doug was the one who picked her up the day she disappeared from home. However, she experienced her first panic attack on that trip on her first night with Doug at Paititi, thinking about how she was regressing back to her old ways and how that would have disappointed Leah. Ever since then, Bethany has consoled herself with the idea that her children are alright. She has also refused to use drugs to prevent herself from triggering further panic attacks.
Bethany sets out for the Day Stage to watch The Buffs play her song, “Don’t Be Misled.” Bethany is calmed by The Buffs’ songs because she can hear the hopeful music Doug used to play when they were still dating. While watching their set, she wonders if Leah remembered to bring menstrual products with her to Rhys’s house. Near the end of The Buffs’ set, they play Bethany’s song, which depicts the voice of a possessive persona. Bethany is proud of herself and Doug. When the song is over, Bethany hears someone in the crowd calling her name. She turns to see her father being tackled by security guards. Rhys compliments her on the song.
Impressed by The Buffs’ performance, Rhys is escorted out of the festival premises by security. Bethany, Brian, and Jeff follow and catch up to them at the gate. Rhys catches Bethany up on everything from Asher’s chess tournament to Chuck’s injury. He tells her that he needs her to assert his custody rights as a grandparent before the Spokane police apprehend him for kidnapping. Once Bethany learns that her children are at Brian’s house, she agrees to come with them. Rhys awkwardly offers his condolences on Celia’s passing, which Bethany does not acknowledge.
Doug catches up with the group while Bethany is gathering her belongings. Bethany defends Doug, knowing how much Rhys hated him in the past. Rhys apologizes and admits that he enjoyed The Buffs’ performance. Doug expresses his intention to visit Leah when he and Bethany say goodbye. When Jeff says goodbye, he gives Brian a handcrafted leather keychain that reminds him of his wings in the Air Force.
Back on the road, Rhys tries to say something important to Bethany. Bethany asks him for some silence first. When they regain cellphone signal, Bethany and Brian’s phones start filling up with new messages. The latest message from Joanie informs them that Leah has gone missing.
Chapters 3-4 Analysis
These chapters reveal more about the relationship between Rhys and Bethany, allowing the overlaps in their character to deepen their conflict and show a path towards resolution. Key to the history of Rhys and Bethany’s relationship is the shift in Bethany’s attitude toward her father as she moves from childhood to adolescence. As a child, Bethany sees her father as a hero. The novel shows how her early aspirations were modeled after Rhys, making her want to write stories the way he did. This also drives resonance between Bethany and Leah, though Bethany’s influence on Leah is less clear at this point in the narrative. For his part, Rhys does not come across as a natural father. He is so focused on his career that he lets it seep into his family life, as demonstrated by the bedtime story he shares with Leah in Chapter 3. The story tries to impart a love of nature to Bethany, but all Bethany can focus on when the story is over are the dark implications that Rhys tries to shield her from. Bethany’s reaction suggests that she is not alienated by Rhys’s self-perceived “failure of imagination” (125). She can easily see the threat of the world he is fighting against in his work, driving the resemblance between their characters.
As an adolescent, Bethany shifts her perception when she starts to observe that her father’s actions do not always align with his values. Walter uses the shifts in point of view to emphasize Rhys’s unreliability as he revisits the past. In Chapter 2, Rhys absolved himself from the moral responsibility of his infidelity, arguing that his marriage with Celia was already over and Lucy’s marriage was on the verge of failing. In Chapter 4, Bethany’s point of view stresses what Rhys failed to consider when he made this argument, since Bethany had witnessed Rhys’s affair with Lucy firsthand in their family home. Rhys never considers the impact of his affair on Bethany’s life, alerting the reader to the real failure of his imagination. Rhys often thinks of how his actions are supposed to speak to his greater intentions, but he very rarely ever thinks about how those actions affect other people. By seeing how little Rhys cares for the impact of his affair on her worldview, Bethany finds herself repulsed by him, causing the rift that pushes her to find boyfriends who can provide the care she is seeking from her father. This, in turn, develops her belief that Rhys is disappointed in her.
The failure of Rhys’s imagination—his failure to imagine how his actions will affect others—plays into his and Bethany’s reunion during the COVID-19 pandemic, an event that was previously alluded to early on in Chapter 1. Up until this point, what the reader knows is that their reunion went so poorly that it caused Bethany to report that Rhys was “so far gone” (15). The use of the novel’s title emphasizes the importance of the scene. Bethany has come to Rhys to make sense of her tendency to flee from stressful situations. She believes that if she can get him to acknowledge his avoidant behavior, then she can also figure out how to resolve it in herself. Even though they have become distanced over the years, Bethany’s therapist sharply observes that Bethany is always modeling her behavior after Rhys.
When Rhys talks about his ambition to create an Atlas of Wisdom that encompasses his intellectual legacy, Bethany’s admiration for his project is quickly overshadowed by self-reproach at her failure to live up to her own standards. Bethany is no closer to discovering how to resolve her tendency to flee, so she flees anyway. In this context, Bethany’s declaration that Rhys is “so far gone” is a resignation. Rhys cannot acknowledge his flaws as a human being, which leaves Bethany to lament that there is no hope for herself. Her escape from home, as well as her recurring panic attacks, is precipitated by that same sense of hopelessness, though she does not know yet that Rhys is already on a journey to confront his fears head-on. Bethany’s hopelessness stresses The Perils of Escapism as a theme.
A brief but important moment that galvanizes Rhys’s resolve comes near the end of Chapter 3 when Rhys predicts that the mother will lose her child at the hospital because of her neglect. In many ways, Rhys sees himself as the mother, someone for whom the loss of his family was an inevitable conclusion. Now, however, Rhys must work to reclaim his family instead of running away from them once again. This epiphany brings him closer to Reckoning with a Broken World Through Community.
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