The Love Hypothesis

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2021

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Summary

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Prologue-Chapter 3

Chapters 4-6

Chapters 7-8

Chapters 9-11

Chapters 12-13

Chapters 14-15

Chapters 16-19

Chapter 20-Epilogue

Character Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Chapters 7-8Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapter 7 Summary

A few days later, Olive is working in the lab when Greg, one of her lab mates, storms in. Adam failed his dissertation proposal, which will set him back months. Unsure what to say, Olive apologizes, feeling genuinely sorry. Greg gets in her face, saying she doesn’t care because if she did “you wouldn’t be able to stomach being with him” (115). He accuses her of only caring about herself and tells her to dump Adam if she respects their class at all before storming out. Chase, another of her lab mates, apologizes for Greg’s behavior before also leaving.

Back at her apartment, Olive texts Adam to ask about her lab mate. She argues that he could present his feedback in a less condescending way. Adam disagrees. He believes that he’s setting students up for the rigors of a career in academia, and they shouldn’t take criticism of their work personally. Olive can’t see his perspective because it’s so counter to the self-doubt and fear she experiences. She sends a childish and insulting reply before her phone nearly dies.

Monday, Olive is on the way to the picnic with her friends but doesn’t want to go or see Adam. She knows her final text was immature and unwarranted but backing out of the picnic felt wrong since Adam has carried so much weight toward convincing people they are dating. Anh insists Olive put on extra sunscreen because she’s pale and pours way too much SPF 50 on Olive’s hands. When Olive complains, Anh calls Adam, who’s shirtless, over from his game of ultimate Frisby to use some of the excess sunscreen.

Adam doesn’t seem angry about their text conversation and acquiesces to Olive slathering sunscreen on his back and shoulders. When she finishes, Tom comes over to ask if Adam’s rejoining the game. He also asks Olive if she can send her report early, and though it will require losing even more sleep and forgoing meals, she says yes.

After Adam and Tom go back to the game, Olive joins Anh and the others, who ask her what Adam’s like. Olive doesn’t know how to explain it—only that he’s nice to her but is terrible to other people. Anh tells her not to stress over figuring it out. She, Jeremy, and Malcolm are happy for Olive, mostly because “[she’s] finally getting laid” (136).

Chapter 8 Summary

After a morning working in the lab, Olive goes to get a snack from the vending machine. The chips she wants are gone, so she gets something else, whispering to it “I wish you were salt-and-vinegar chips” (138). A voice offers her the chips, startling her. It’s Adam, who she didn’t notice when she entered the room.

Olive eats the chips while she chats with Adam. Both will be pulling late nights in the lab. Olive offers to pay Adam back for the chips, but Adam says not to bother because she makes such little money. Conversation flows from their fake relationship to the future to Olive’s past. Her mom died from pancreatic cancer when Olive was 15. From there, Olive went to a foster home for a year before becoming an emancipated minor. She cries and apologizes for being weepy, to which Adam says, “you should let yourself be weepy” (147).

Olive asks Adam why he’s really doing the fake-dating thing. Before he can respond, Jeremy arrives, startled to find them there. The moment is broken, and Olive heads back to the lab with Jeremy, feeling heavy-hearted because part of her wanted to stay with Adam.

Chapters 7-8 Analysis

The conversation with Greg in Chapter 7 introduces the idea of people’s actions speaking for them. Greg argues that Olive doesn’t care about the department because she’s dating someone who’s so horrible to his students. His argument implies people’s choices equate to taking sides. By contrast, Adam’s texts clarify that he’s not judgmental of students, only their work, because he’s preparing them for their careers. His side shows that Olive’s involvement with him has nothing to do with how she feels about her fellow grad students.

Olive recognizes her final response to Adam was childish, showing the effect distance has on a situation. In the moment, she thought she was in the right, but looking back, she understands how much emotion clouded her words. She can now see Adam’s logic, even if she doesn’t fully agree with it, and recognizes how her own messages were driven by anger and fear, rather than rational thinking. She also acknowledges her own self-doubt, not yet realizing that Adam has faced the same inner turmoil.

Anh’s final statement of Chapter 7 represents the emphasis American culture puts on sex in relationships. Anh specifically says she’s happiest about Olive finally having sex. She says nothing about the other touted benefits of being in a relationship, such as support or improvement to general attitude. Anh’s statement sets up the precedent that sex is the most important part of a relationship, which is not true for everyone.

Adam telling Olive to let herself cry in Chapter 8 highlights an important part of the grieving process—allowing oneself to be sad. Olive doesn’t like to cry because it feels weak, but crying is an important part of dealing with trauma, even trauma from years ago. Her reaction to her mother’s death 10 years after it happened shows how grief never truly leaves, and that the adage of time healing wounds may not be completely true.