Dear Evan Hansen Flashcards
(16 cards)
What happens in Chapter 1 of Dear Evan Hansen?
Plot: Evan Hansen writes himself a letter as part of therapy homework, expressing his anxiety about starting senior year and his crush on Zoe Murphy. His mother Heidi rushes off to work multiple jobs. Evan’s arm is in a cast from falling out of a tree, though he lies about how it happened.
Topics: Mental health, family dynamics, isolation, deception, therapy
Literary Elements: First-person narration, internal monologue revealing anxiety, epistolary element, unreliable narrator.
What happens in Chapter 2 of Dear Evan Hansen?
Plot: At school, Evan encounters Connor Murphy, who signs his cast. Connor discovers Evan’s letter mentioning Zoe and assumes it’s about him, taking the letter and storming off. Evan’s “family friend” Jared makes cruel jokes about Connor’s mental state.
Topics: Misunderstanding, social isolation, mental health stigma, cruelty among teens
Literary Elements: Dramatic irony, foreshadowing, characterization through dialogue and action.
What happens in Chapter 3 of Dear Evan Hansen?
Plot: The Murphy family visits Evan to inform him of Connor’s suicide. They found Evan’s letter in Connor’s pocket and believe it was Connor’s suicide note to Evan, assuming they were close friends. Evan doesn’t correct their devastating misunderstanding.
Topics: Suicide, grief, family devastation, deception by omission
Literary Elements: Dramatic irony, internal conflict, turning point.
What happens in Chapter 4 of Dear Evan Hansen?
Plot: Evan tells his mother about Connor’s death but hides the truth about the letter. The Murphy family asks Evan to share memories of Connor, and under pressure to ease their pain, he begins fabricating stories about their supposed friendship.
Topics: Family communication breakdown, compassionate deception, grief support
Literary Elements: Internal monologue showing moral conflict, dialogue revealing character motivations, escalating deception.
What happens in Chapter 5 of Dear Evan Hansen?
Plot: Jared helps Evan create fake emails between him and Connor to support the growing lie. Evan experiences new attention at school as word spreads about his “friendship” with Connor. The deception begins taking on a life of its own.
Topics: Technology enabling deception, social attention, collaborative lying
Literary Elements: Epistolary elements, characterization, irony.
What happens in Chapter 6 of Dear Evan Hansen?
Plot: Evan speaks at a memorial assembly about Connor, and his speech resonates deeply with students who feel invisible. The speech goes viral on social media, launching the Connor Project and making Evan an unexpected spokesperson for teen mental health.
Topics: Public speaking, viral fame, mental health awareness, visibility
Literary Elements: Public speech as climactic moment, dramatic irony, symbolism.
What happens in Chapter 7 of Dear Evan Hansen?
Plot: Evan becomes increasingly close to the Murphy family, especially bonding with Zoe over music and shared experiences. He begins to feel like the son they lost while his own mother works longer hours. The lie creates the belonging he’s always craved.
Topics: Surrogate family relationships, romantic feelings, class differences, belonging
Literary Elements: Character development, romantic subplot development, dramatic irony.
What happens in Chapter 8 of Dear Evan Hansen?
Plot: The Connor Project gains momentum with plans to save an orchard where Evan claims he and Connor spent time. Alana Beck joins as an organizer. Evan’s anxiety grows as the lie expands, but he’s also experiencing unprecedented happiness and connection.
Topics: Memorial projects, community organizing, anxiety escalation, conflicted emotions
Literary Elements: Internal conflict intensifying, multiple plotlines converging, symbolism.
What happens in Chapter 9 of Dear Evan Hansen?
Plot: The Connor Project receives media attention and corporate sponsorship. Evan appears on talk shows and receives scholarship offers. His relationship with Zoe deepens romantically, but his friendship with Jared becomes strained as Jared feels used and sidelined.
Topics: Fame, media attention, romantic relationships, friendship deterioration
Literary Elements: Montage effect, relationship dynamics shifting, foreshadowing.
What happens in Chapter 10 of Dear Evan Hansen?
Plot: Evan and Zoe’s relationship becomes intimate as he shares fabricated stories about what Connor supposedly said about her. These “quotes” are actually Evan’s own feelings, creating real intimacy through false premises. Zoe begins healing her relationship with her dead brother.
Topics: Romance, deception in intimacy, sibling relationships, healing through lies
Literary Elements: Dramatic irony, character development, moral complexity.
What happens in Chapter 11 of Dear Evan Hansen?
Plot: Heidi confronts Evan about his lies after discovering inconsistencies in his stories. She’s hurt that he sought family elsewhere and angry about the deception. Their relationship reaches a crisis as Heidi realizes how completely she’s failed to see her son’s needs.
Topics: Family confrontation, parental failure, truth revelation, neglect consequences
Literary Elements: Confrontation scene, emotional climax, character revelation.
What happens in Chapter 12 of Dear Evan Hansen?
Plot: Alana discovers evidence that Connor and Evan were never actually friends. She struggles with whether to expose the truth, torn between loyalty to the cause and commitment to honesty. The foundation of the entire Connor Project becomes unstable.
Topics: Truth discovery, moral dilemmas, loyalty vs. honesty, investigation
Literary Elements: Discovery scene, moral conflict, building tension.
What happens in Chapter 13 of Dear Evan Hansen?
Plot: The Murphy family learns the truth about Evan’s deception. Larry reacts with rage, Cynthia feels devastated and betrayed, and Zoe is heartbroken that their relationship was built on lies. The Connor Project faces collapse as the foundation crumbles.
Topics: Truth revelation, family betrayal, relationship destruction, consequences
Literary Elements: Climactic revelation, multiple character reactions.
What happens in Chapter 14 of Dear Evan Hansen?
Plot: Evan faces complete social and personal collapse. He loses the Murphy family, his relationship with Zoe ends, and his friendship with Jared is damaged. Overwhelmed by guilt and isolation, he contemplates and attempts suicide but survives.
Topics: Consequences, suicide attempt, complete isolation, mental health crisis
Literary Elements: Dramatic climax, symbolic death and rebirth.
What happens in Chapter 15 of Dear Evan Hansen?
Plot: Evan begins genuine therapy and slowly starts healing his relationship with his mother. He writes an honest letter to Connor, acknowledging his mistakes and the harm he caused. He begins finding authentic ways to help others with mental health struggles.
Topics: Recovery, genuine therapy, family healing, making amends, authentic service
Literary Elements: Resolution beginning, character transformation.
What happens in the Epilogue of Dear Evan Hansen?
Plot: One year later, Evan has made genuine progress in therapy and his relationship with his mother. He briefly encounters Zoe, and their civil conversation suggests possible forgiveness in the future. Evan reflects on his growth and commitment to authentic living.
Topics: Recovery progress, time’s healing power, potential forgiveness, authentic living
Literary Elements: Epilogue structure, character growth completion.
