What’s Up With the Ending?

If you were hoping for lots of answers and resolution, this ending might be a wee bit disappointing for you. When the end arrives, we're still reeling from the narrator's attempts to somehow connect with her deceased parents by rejecting the trappings of modern life and going full-on "animal." As the novel winds to a close, she's just now getting her clothes back on and weighing a return to "the city." Then Joe shows up, ostensibly to retrieve her, and she has to figure out whether to go back with him or not. We don't know what she decides, but we do know she has decided she feels love for Joe—so we guess that's something?

We're not sure what's in store for her, but the narrator's newfound ability to feel and acknowledge love suggests that she has achieved some kind of progress or increased self-knowledge throughout the story.