Dolores Claiborne

Dolores notes that she doesn’t sleep well the day before the murder, worried that rain will mar her plans. When she wakes, the day is merely cloudy, and Dolores spends her morning helping Vera with a brunch buffet for her eclipse guests. Although she has a headache, Dolores works throughout the morning, returning home after her job is complete. She tells the police that she can “remember everythin that happened” that day (215).

On her way home, Dolores buys a bottle of Johnnie Walker for Joe, hoping to make him easier to kill. Once home, Dolores presents Joe with the Scotch and a pair of eclipse-viewers, telling her husband she has a surprise for him later. She fixes a sandwich for Joe, thinking to herself: “Make it good, cause it’s the last thing he’s ever gonna eat” (225). The pair enjoy their food and share a kiss. For a moment, Dolores has second thoughts, but as soon as she touches Joe’s forehead, she remembers Joe’s abuse of Selena and poor treatment of their other sons and decides to go through with the murder.

When the eclipse begins Dolores suddenly sees a little girl holding a reflector box to watch the sun go dark in the sky.