American Gods: Chapter 3 Summary & Analysis

At the start of the chapter appears the so-called “old saying”: “Every hour wounds. The last one kills.” The receptionist at the Motel America gives Shadow his key and reluctantly agrees to call up to Mr. Wednesday’s room, though she regards Shadow with suspicion. Wednesday comes to Shadow in the lobby and leads him to the room where Wednesday is staying, which is covered with maps of America with sites highlighted in bright colors. Mr. Wednesday asks about the funeral, then nods in approval when Shadow doesn’t want to talk about it. Shadow explains that he was hijacked by a kid in a limo, and Mr. Wednesday says he knows the boy. Shadow goes back to his room to get some sleep, thinking that he can go tomorrow to take care of Laura’s things and their old apartment.

Back in his own room, Shadow draws himself a bath, even though he is too big for the tub, trying to keep his promises to himself about his plan after prison. Shadow lies in bed, thinking that this is his first bed as a free man, but he finds no joy in the thought. To distract himself from thinking about the bed he used to share with Laura, Shadow runs through coin tricks in his head. He likes the physical process of manipulating the coins, though he does not have the personality or storytelling skills to be a truly great magician. Yet thoughts of Audrey telling him how Laura died keep intruding. The saying, “Every hour wounds. The last one kills,” runs through his head. Shadow smiles, thinking that if he bottles up his feelings long enough, soon he won’t feel anything.

Finally, Shadow falls asleep. He dreams of walking through a room filled with statues, carvings, and images. Many have names in front of them: Leucotios, Hubur, Hershef, and others. As he backs away from a particularly disturbing image of a woman-like figure with two snakes coming out of her neck instead of a head, he hears a disembodied voice explain that these statues are the gods who have been forgotten except in historical accounts. As Shadow continues to walk through the room, the voice returns to explain that some of the gods are completely forgotten, without even a name. Though gods are harder to kill than humans, they can die unmourned and unremembered. Shadow begins to panic, then bolts awake.

Shadow wakes up fully, then goes into the bathroom without turning on any lights. When he comes out he sees Laura’s silhouette, sitting on the side of his bed and wearing the suit she was buried in. Laura asks Shadow to sit beside her, but Shadow refuses until Laura explains about her and Robbie. Laura, smelling faintly of flowers and rot, asks sweetly for a cigarette. Shadow pulls on clothing and goes to the lobby to buy a pack.

Shadow gets back to his room and finds Laura still on the bed. He passes her the cigarettes and a book of matches. She lights one and takes a drag, but says that she can’t feel anything. Laura apologizes for getting her Puppy mixed up in “it” and letting him go to prison, but Shadow reminds her that he could have said no. Shadow idly realizes he is not afraid of Laura, though she is effectively a walking corpse, and Laura begins to explain about her and Robbie.

Laura tells Shadow that she was lonely while Shadow was in jail, and that the sex with Robbie was good. Shadow winces, and Laura apologizes, saying that it’s hard to remember which things matter when you’re dead. She assures Shadow that she was never going to leave him, though she had been having an affair with Robbie for two years. She recounts the night that she died, explaining that she was very drunk as they drove home and wanted to give Robbie a “goodbye” blowjob now that Shadow was coming home. She knocked the gearshift with her shoulder and Robbie couldn’t get it back in gear as they swerved and eventually crashed.

Shadow smells burning plastic and realizes that Laura’s cigarette has burned down to the filter. He takes the cigarette butt from Laura’s hand and throws it out the window. Shadow reminds Laura that she is dead and shouldn’t be visiting him. Laura tells Shadow that she is going to protect him now. Then she thanks him for her “present.” When Shadow questions what present, Laura pulls the large gold coin out of her pocket. She then gets up to kiss Shadow goodbye. Laura rises on tiptoes, and Shadow tries to kiss her on the cheek, but Laura turns her head so that their lips meet. She tastes of cigarettes and bile. As Laura walks out, she tells Shadow that dead or not, he will eventually ask her to stay the night.

Laura leaves, with graveyard mud clinging to her shoes and the carpet. Shadow rushes over to Wednesday’s room and knocks on the door. Wednesday answers the door wearing a towel, and Shadow notices that the receptionist who checked him in is hiding in Wednesday’s bed. Shadow quickly explains that his dead wife just visited him, and Wednesday follows Shadow back to Shadow’s room. Shadow notices a white scar down Wednesday’s torso as Wednesday inspects the room and sniffs the air.

Shadow tells Wednesday that he’s ready to leave Eagle Point tomorrow. Wednesday happily agrees and goes back to the girl in his room. Shadow sits on his bed, wishing that he could mourn Laura without being troubled by her visit. He lies down, thinking of the early years of their marriage, and then cries the hardest he has in years.