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Chapter 18
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in One Day, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Relationships and Time
Social Class
Coming of Age and the Search for Meaning
Addiction and Recovery
Summary
Analysis
Saturday, July 15, 1988. At college in Edinburgh, the morning after they hook up, Emma wakes to see Dexter in the process of sneaking out. He promises he was going to leave a note and just didn’t want to wake her. Dexter says he had a nice time and finds Emma lovely. He says he’s about to leave with his parents to drive back to where his parents live in Oxfordshire, although in fact, his parents don’t plan to leave until tomorrow morning.
This chapter is the first to break the novel’s chronological structure, instead looping back in time to the beginning. The events of Dexter and Emma’s youth become bittersweet, since it’s already been revealed that Dexter and Emma will end up together but also that Emma will die.
Themes
Dexter asks to use Emma’s phone while she goes to use the bathroom. She passes Tilly on the way, who asks if Emma has a guest. When Emma says yes—and that her guest is Dexter Mayhew—she and Tilly both laugh. Meanwhile, Dexter calls a phone number that tells the current time. He pretends it’s his mother and asks if he can postpone the time he leaves because he isn’t feeling well. He makes sure Emma can overhear. Then, hangs up and tells Emma he’s free to spend the day with her.
This passage captures a more carefree moment in the lives of Dexter and Emma before they had to face the weight of adult responsibilities. It shows Dexter once again lying to avoid having to reveal details about his personal life, either to Emma or his mother, presenting a contrast with the more open person that Dexter will eventually become.
Themes
