Behind Her Eyes

Sleep is a symbol of escape and refuge in the book. It is also where the most dramatic action happens. Rob, Louise, and Adele all suffer from night terrors but learn to perform lucid dreaming and astral projection. In Westlands, shared nightmares are the bond first joining Adele and Rob. Adele longs for sleep, but it takes her back to the night her parents died: “Sleep keeps bringing her back to therapy […] Sleep, always sleep. Faux sleep, real sleep. The appearance of sleep” (38). She teaches Rob to control what happens in his sleep, thus escaping his night terrors and horrible real life. Ironically, Adele’s helping Rob in this way is her ultimate undoing, as Rob eventually uses what Adele teaches him to take over her body.

Louise expresses the power of nurturing sleep: “A few good nights’ sleep have changed me. I’m refreshed and energized. I haven’t felt so well in years, if ever. I feel like a new me” (162). This is an indication of the influence Adele has over Louise, encouraging her to take on a healthier lifestyle. Meanwhile, Adele “seems diminished, haunted even. Her hair has lost its lustre [sic]” (162).