Oddly enough, even as he plots his revenge, Paul is still compelled to finish the novel. Annie’s confusion about this suggests she suspects Paul has ulterior motives for staying silent, which is partially true—he wants to be the one to kill her. Still, it is worth noting that Paul’s desire to see the novel through to the end plays a significant role in his compliance. Though the harassment Annie faces is a direct result of her previous crimes, it does highlight how sensationalized stories can dehumanize and exploit their subjects. In this way, Annie becomes the Misery-character of her own life, eliciting shameless obsession from the local community.