What Happens At The End Of Poor Deer?

At the end of 'Poor Deer,' Margaret’s story closes with a whisper rather than a bang. After years of being haunted by the spectral 'Poor Deer,' she reaches a fragile peace. The final scenes blur the line between reality and her imagination, making it unclear whether the deer was ever real or just a symbol of her guilt. She doesn’t get a grand redemption, but there’s a subtle shift—a sense that she might finally be able to breathe. It’s the kind of ending that lingers, making you flip back to see if you missed something. I love how Oshetsky leaves room for interpretation, letting readers decide whether Margaret’s healing is genuine or just another layer of her coping mechanism.

The ending of 'Poor Deer' by Claire Oshetsky is hauntingly ambiguous, leaving readers with a mix of sorrow and uneasy hope. The protagonist, Margaret Murphy, spends much of the novel grappling with guilt over a childhood accident that resulted in the death of her best friend. The narrative weaves between reality and Margaret’s fractured psyche, where the mythical 'Poor Deer'—a creature of her imagination—serves as both tormentor and confessor. In the final chapters, Margaret confronts her past in a surreal, almost dreamlike sequence. She releases the weight of her guilt, but the resolution isn’t clean or cheerful. Instead, it’s a quiet, bittersweet moment where she acknowledges her pain and steps into an uncertain future. The book doesn’t tie everything up neatly, which feels true to its themes of grief and self-forgiveness. There’s a lingering sense that Margaret’s journey isn’t over, but she’s finally stopped running.

What stuck with me most was how Oshetsky uses magical realism to explore trauma. The 'Poor Deer' isn’t just a figment; it’s a manifestation of Margaret’s inability to escape her guilt. The ending doesn’t offer easy answers, but it does suggest that healing isn’t about erasing the past—it’s about learning to carry it differently. I finished the book feeling like I’d lived through Margaret’s emotional storm, and that last page left me staring at the wall for a good while, just processing.