Sociopath: A Memoir

The motif of chocolate cake illustrates Patric Gagne’s exploration of normalcy and domestic contentment in the memoir. Initially, making chocolate cake represents the author’s relationship with her mother. Mrs. Gagne’s role as a pillar of stability and safety in her daughter’s life is embodied by their interactions in the kitchen. Sitting under the table while her mother meticulously cuts cake layers with a thread, Patric feels safe to recount her antisocial activities to her mother without reprisals. However, Mrs. Gagne’s increasing despair at her daughter’s social transgressions and her own failing marriage is demonstrated when Patric finds her crying over an unevenly cut cake. Her inability to perfect the layers represents Mrs. Gagne’s inability to maintain a harmonious home life despite her best efforts.

When Patric starts living with David, she copies her mother’s cake-making technique, trying to replicate her “Southern-style housekeeping” (16). Her actions reflect the belief that a blissful domestic life with David will cure her sociopathy. Using a thread to cut equal layers demonstrates Patric’s initial care and satisfaction in the role. The homemaking activity makes her think she has achieved the domestic idyll. However, Patric soon finds this role unsatisfying, and her symptoms reemerge, echoing the unhappiness of her mother.