Clock

In the end, Ella realizes that her intense desire to become a mother was not truly her own but something shaped by societal pressure and her own therapy-induced delusions. The clock, the spiders, and the ghostly figure of her grandmother all symbolized her subconscious fears and her ancestral trauma linked to her family’s dark history. Her journey led her to confront the truth that her longing for motherhood had become a product of medical manipulation and psychological delusion rather than her genuine wish. When she discovers that the implant—intended to “correct” her biological clock—can never be removed without destroying her chances of conceiving, she chooses to reject this manufactured identity. Ella pulls out the implant herself, severing her dependence on the harmful medical intervention and claiming her autonomy. Her act symbolizes reclaiming her own life and identity, breaking free from societal expectations and the control of those who mimicked her trauma.

The story concludes tragically with Ella jumping into a lake after her confrontation with the police, suggesting she might have drowned. In her final moments, she envisions the fish, which in cultural symbolism can represent fertility, but also rejection and decay in her disturbed state. The fish might symbolize her lingering fears of rejection and her ancestral curse, now reflected in her own destroyed ability to connect naturally with life and motherhood. Ultimately, her death signifies the destructive power of societal and medical manipulation over personal agency, and how her desire for motherhood—once a source of hope—was transformed into a haunting, self-destructive obsession. The ending leaves viewers questioning whether Ella truly escaped her trauma or was consumed by it, illustrating the horrifying toll of trying to conform to societal norms about womanhood and motherhood.

Last Updated: June 25, 2025 at 09:00