How to Stop Time

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2017

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Part 5, Chapters 1-3Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Part 5: “The Return”

Part 5, Chapter 1 Summary: “Plymouth, England, 1768”

Tom, suffering from depression since he still hasn’t found Marion, arrives in Plymouth looking for a purpose. He finds Captain Samuel Wallis and asks to join his crew. Tom introduces himself as John Frears, a musician with some technical skills that could be useful on a voyage. Captain Wallis hesitates to hire him. Wallis’s friend Tobias Furneaux convinces him, touting the need for music to keep spirits up on such a long voyage. Tom launches into a list of other skills he could perform: hooking sails, oiling masts, repairing rigging, reading words and maps, loading and firing a gun, speaking French and some Dutch. Captain Wallis relents and agrees to bring Tom along.

Part 5, Chapter 2 Summary: “London, Now”

It’s the start of the half-term break. While at the supermarket, Tom runs into Daphne, who says think Camille likes a “certain new history teacher” (259). Tom changes the subject by asking about the rum in her cart. Daphne explains that it is for her mom in a retirement home in Surbiton. Daphne continues saying her mom believes she is “here for a good time not a long time” mentioning that she isn’t even that old (260). One woman, named Mary Peters, at the home claims to have been born during the time of William the Conqueror. Tom recalls a Mary Peters from his days in Hackney. She knew Rose from the market and mysteriously disappeared one day. After Daphne leaves, he ditches his cart and heads to the train station.

Tom arrives at the Ash Grange Residential Care Home in Surbiton. Mary Peters is the same woman from Hackney 400 years ago. She remembers him, too. She mentions Rose and meeting Marion not long ago. They were both patients in a mental hospital in Southall. Marion told everyone about her and her father’s condition. People thought she was mad. Marion vanished one night; Mary doesn’t know what happened to her. Tom is “relieved that Marion is still alive—or had been until recently—and worried for whatever torments she has known” (265). Tom tries to convince Mary how dangerous it is to discuss their condition. She is tired of hiding from danger, saying, “there comes a time when the only way to start living is to tell the truth. To be who you really are, even if it is dangerous” (265). Tom departs, telling her to be careful.

Tom calls Hendrich and asks if he knew Marion was at a mental hospital. Hendrich denies knowing anything about it. Tom backs out of the Australia trip, citing his need to find Marion. Hendrich promises to have Agnes look into it while he saves Omai. Tom relents and does as Hendrich bids.

Part 5, Chapter 3 Summary: “Tahiti, 1767”

Captain Wallis orders Tom to set the village on fire. Tom can’t do it. He stands there, torch in hand, the islander staring at him with defiance and horror—the same stare he will see on the surfer in the YouTube video. Tom carries the torch to the sea. He returns to the hut and places his gun and knife on the ground in a show of peace. Furneaux comes to Tom’s rescue, telling the captain that scaring the natives will only make them enemies. The captain burns the village anyway.

Part 5, Chapters 1-3 Analysis

As John Frears, Tom becomes a crewmember on a ship set to explore the new world. He markets himself as a minor Jack-of-all-trades. Tobias Furneaux persuades the captain to take a chance on Tom. Later, in Tahiti, Furneaux again aids Tom, supporting his choice not to burn the native village down. Tom shows integrity by refusing to follow the captain’s orders. He tries to make peace with his future friend, Omai. His initial treatment of Omai speaks volumes. Tom is compassionate. Even though he should be drawing as little attention to himself as possible, Tom still takes a stance against injustice no matter the consequences.

One of the first plot twists is the revelation that Mary Peters suffers from the same slow-aging condition as Tom. She is still alive and ranting about her age to anyone who will listen. As soon as Tom hears about her, he drops everything to visit her. She is a connection to Rose and the past. Mary then reveals she knows Marion. This is a big moment for Tom: Mary Peters restores Tom’s hope that Marion is really out there somewhere. Tom thinks about all the dangers Marion may be facing and warns Mary not to be so nonchalant about their condition. He fears the worst. Echoing Omai’s story, Mary Peters tells Tom, “there comes a time when the only way to start living is to tell the truth. To be who you really are, even if it is dangerous” (265). Tom needs to stop fearing the future and just live. Freedom comes from honesty.