The Storm at the Beginning of the Narraitve

The storm at the beginning of the narrative symbolizes future hardships. A storm begins as Cass leaves the get-together with her colleagues. The literal storm that she drives into symbolizes the figurative stormy period in her life that she is entering.

The Title (The Breakdown)

The title symbolizes the essence of the narrative itself as a breakdown can mean the many things that happen in the narrative. A car can breakdown and Cass thinks that this may have happened to the woman she sees on the side of the road. A person can have a mental breakdown and that is what Rachel and Matthew try to make Cass think that she is having. There is also the breakdown of trust. This is what happens when Cass first believes that she is losing her memory and she stops trusting herself...