The Wasp

At the end of The Wasp, Heather’s plan comes to a violent climax when she manipulates Clara into choosing violence. Heather’s ultimate goal was not to cause her own death but to see Clara act on her instinct—something Heather believed she could control as a way to exact her revenge on her abusers. Heather’s intention was to make Clara feel the same helplessness she had endured, by leading her to believe she had the upper hand, only to reveal that she had been outsmarted all along. As Heather confronts Clara with the knife, she whispers “Good girl,” echoing a past act of violation, illustrating how Heather has become a twisted version of her former tormentor. Clara, driven by fear and confusion, ultimately stabs Heather, fulfilling Heather’s dark expectation that violence would be the only way to escape her pain. But Heather’s plan backfires when it turns out she was never in real danger—she had anticipated Clara’s reaction and used her as a pawn in her elaborate scheme. When Simon appears, Clara is shocked to realize Heather had never intended to kill her husband; her threats had been part of a cruel game to push Clara into violence. Heather’s death, which comes from Clara’s hand, symbolizes her final act of turning her pain outward, unleashing her fury at the people who betrayed and hurt her. Her letter asking for help, found after her death, reveals a tragic layer—she wanted her story to be known, to make sure her abusers faced justice, even if it meant sacrificing herself in the process. In the end, Heather’s death leaves the police with perplexing evidence, and her planned revenge results in chaos for everyone involved. The symbolism of the wasps ties into Heather’s internal struggle—how her anger and suffering, like a trapped wasp, had to find a way out. The wasp’s emergence from her clothes at the end can be seen as her soul’s liberation or as a final indication that her suffering has transformed into something dangerous and fierce. Heather’s violent act is her way of reclaiming power and breaking free from her trauma, even as it costs her everything. Ultimately, her tragic end underscores the devastating toll of unresolved pain and the destructive nature of revenge.

Last Updated: June 25, 2025 at 08:44