The Therapist

Content Warning: This section includes violence, murder, suicide, and likely instances of abuse.

Thirty-five-year-old Alice Dawson is the protagonist and chief first-person narrator of The Therapist. The key events of the novel are viewed through her perspective. Alice has never recovered from the death of her sister and parents in a car accident, a tragedy that occurred when she was 19. Her character illustrates the theme of The Repercussions of the Past as the trauma continues to influence her perspective and judgment.

Alice’s obsession with the murder of Nina Maxwell springs from the fact that she is haunted by the memory of her late sister, who was also named Nina. An unreliable narrator, she conceals her responsibility for the fatal crash in which her family died until the end of the narrative. The final revelation of this crucial detail reframes her account: It becomes clear that Alice’s behavior throughout the narrative has been driven by guilt.

Alice fulfils the role of the outsider in the Circle by challenging the status quo and uncovering the community’s secrets. As she does so, many of her own beliefs and assumptions are challenged, underlining the theme of

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