The chapter opens with a flashback to the beginning of the novel, when the Governess tells her daughter that she was bullied and that she should not be afraid of being bullied again. The Governess then tells her that if she gets bullied again, she should be able to retaliate. She also tells the girl that if someone hits her, she can protect herself by picking areas in which to strike back. She says that she doesn't support people who do not retaliate when they get into trouble, because fighting causes irreversible harm to all involved. She tells the child that she is different from the other children because she is not encouraging her to start fighting. If she does not teach the person who bullied her a lesson, that person will see her as easy to hit