The Farmhouse Ascent and Fall

American Woman

This flow traces the survivors’ fragile recovery at the farmhouse, their new routines, the robbery plan, and the violent end of the refuge.

increasing

Bearing strength in each event

decreasing

A House of Silence A House of Silence from "American Woman". A House of Silence An Uneasy Refuge Jenny explores the farmhouse while the fugitives remain hidden behind closed doors.

A House of Silence from "American Woman". A House of Silence An Uneasy Refuge Jenny explores the farmhouse while the fugitives remain hidden behind closed doors.

A House of Silence An Uneasy Refuge Jenny explores the farmhouse while the fugitives remain hidden behind closed doors. The neglected building, mice, and sparse supplies make refuge feel less like safety than an abandoned landscape. First Contact Juan appears outside in exhaustion, and the others emerge only gradually.

Training Replaces Stagnation Training Replaces Stagnation from "American Woman". Training Replaces Stagnation A New Routine With Jenny’s encouragement, the survivors begin running, exercising, and practicing skills in the fields.

Training Replaces Stagnation from "American Woman". Training Replaces Stagnation A New Routine With Jenny’s encouragement, the survivors begin running, exercising, and practicing skills in the fields.

Training Replaces Stagnation A New Routine With Jenny’s encouragement, the survivors begin running, exercising, and practicing skills in the fields. Their bodies regain strength, and shared activity gives grief a structure that passive isolation could not provide. A Conditional Recovery The routine creates energy, but it does not resolve the group’s rivalries or their unfinished book.

The Owner Appears The Owner Appears from "American Woman". The Owner Appears A Visit from Bob The farmhouse owner arrives unexpectedly and finds the fugitives surrounded by signs of their occupation.

The Owner Appears from "American Woman". The Owner Appears A Visit from Bob The farmhouse owner arrives unexpectedly and finds the fugitives surrounded by signs of their occupation.

The Owner Appears A Visit from Bob The farmhouse owner arrives unexpectedly and finds the fugitives surrounded by signs of their occupation. Jenny and the others invent a cover story, but his presence shows how easily their hiding place can fail. Escape Planning Juan moves the group toward a contingency plan and tells them to run if the authorities arrive.

The Robbery Decision The Robbery Decision from "American Woman". The Robbery Decision A Proposed Heist Juan proposes robbing a bank to fund the group’s survival and escape.

The Robbery Decision from "American Woman". The Robbery Decision A Proposed Heist Juan proposes robbing a bank to fund the group’s survival and escape.

The Robbery Decision A Proposed Heist Juan proposes robbing a bank to fund the group’s survival and escape. Jenny refuses, seeing no moral or practical equivalence between this plan and the political bombings she once undertook. Coercion at the Farm Juan disables her car and makes clear she cannot leave until the group’s plan is complete.

The House Is Lost The House Is Lost from "American Woman". The House Is Lost Flight from the Shooting After the robbery, Yvonne returns bloodied, and Juan insists that everyone hurry back to the farmhouse.

The House Is Lost from "American Woman". The House Is Lost Flight from the Shooting After the robbery, Yvonne returns bloodied, and Juan insists that everyone hurry back to the farmhouse.

The House Is Lost Flight from the Shooting After the robbery, Yvonne returns bloodied, and Juan insists that everyone hurry back to the farmhouse. Jenny understands that the violence has crossed a boundary: a store owner has been shot, and the group cannot simply return to ordinary refuge. Jenny and Pauline Leave As Juan and Yvonne clean up, Jenny takes Pauline and drives away without looking back.

The first day at the farmhouse

After Rob Frazer’s first return

Several weeks into the farmhouse stay

Late summer 1974

The day of the bank robbery