This leads to the most controversial aspect of the novel: the ending. Without spoiling specific plot points, the conclusion suggests that Emily finds a form of twisted peace. For the reader, this raises difficult questions. Is she "better" off? Has she improved her situation, or has she simply been broken? Thomas leaves room for interpretation, but the text leans toward the idea that Emily has reclaimed agency by choosing her own form of happiness, however damaged it may appear to the outside world.