Ethan’s Path from Isolation to Violence

The Woman in the Window

Ethan’s loneliness, carefully performed vulnerability, and hidden resentment culminate in murder, manipulation, and a fatal attack on Anna.

increasing

Bearing strength in each event

decreasing

A Lonely Newcomer A Lonely Newcomer from "The Woman in the Window". A Young Person Out of Place Loss of Familiar Friends Ethan misses Boston and has no established social circle in New York.

A Lonely Newcomer from "The Woman in the Window". A Young Person Out of Place Loss of Familiar Friends Ethan misses Boston and has no established social circle in New York.

A Young Person Out of Place Loss of Familiar Friends Ethan misses Boston and has no established social circle in New York. He is homeschooled and depends on swimming and his parents’ arrangements for contact beyond the family. An Appealing First Impression He appears considerate and sensitive when he visits Anna. His loneliness is real, but it does not disclose the calculated behavior he later reveals.

Katie Returns Katie Returns from "The Woman in the Window". A Biological Mother Appears A Secret Meeting Katie visits Ethan while his adoptive parents are away.

Katie Returns from "The Woman in the Window". A Biological Mother Appears A Secret Meeting Katie visits Ethan while his adoptive parents are away.

A Biological Mother Appears A Secret Meeting Katie visits Ethan while his adoptive parents are away. She brings photographs and tries to tell him about his early life and her efforts to reconnect. A Complicated Response Ethan is curious about his origins but does not embrace Katie without reservation. His interest in his biological father mixes with anger about his childhood.

A Story Used as Cover A Story Used as Cover from "The Woman in the Window". Manipulating Anna Performed Vulnerability Ethan cries, describes his father as frightening, and accepts Anna’s sympathy.

A Story Used as Cover from "The Woman in the Window". Manipulating Anna Performed Vulnerability Ethan cries, describes his father as frightening, and accepts Anna’s sympathy.

Manipulating Anna Performed Vulnerability Ethan cries, describes his father as frightening, and accepts Anna’s sympathy. He uses her training as a psychologist to encourage the interpretation he wants her to believe. Control Through Disclosure He gives Anna selected facts and conceals his own violence. His closeness to her is part of a strategy to keep attention away from Katie’s actual killer.

The Confession and Threat The Confession and Threat from "The Woman in the Window". The Mask Falls Admission of Murder Ethan tells Anna that he killed Katie with a letter opener and that he had been entering her house at night.

The Confession and Threat from "The Woman in the Window". The Mask Falls Admission of Murder Ethan tells Anna that he killed Katie with a letter opener and that he had been entering her house at night.

The Mask Falls Admission of Murder Ethan tells Anna that he killed Katie with a letter opener and that he had been entering her house at night. He explains how he used her personal information to access her phone and accounts. A Threat Against Anna His charm gives way to direct menace. He threatens to kill Anna and treats her life as another situation he can manipulate.

The Fall Through the Roof The Fall Through the Roof from "The Woman in the Window". A Fatal Pursuit Anna Fights Back On the roof, Ethan corners Anna and tries to force her off the building.

The Fall Through the Roof from "The Woman in the Window". A Fatal Pursuit Anna Fights Back On the roof, Ethan corners Anna and tries to force her off the building.

A Fatal Pursuit Anna Fights Back On the roof, Ethan corners Anna and tries to force her off the building. She reaches the trellis and takes up gardening shears, resisting rather than surrendering. The Skylight Gives Way Anna embraces Ethan and pushes him onto the fragile skylight. It breaks beneath him, and he falls into the house; Anna later reports his death to the police.

Late October, after moving from Boston

Halloween, during the day

November 4–14

Early on November 15

November 15, during the storm