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1. How does the theme of secrecy emerge within the narrator's statement about Edward's previous experiences in hotels?

On the very first page of the text, the narrator reveals, "Edward did not mention that he had never stayed in a hotel before, whereas Florence, after many trips as a child with her father, was an old hand" (3). This detail about Edward's withholding of information is the first to hint at secrecy and deception being represented within the novella. As the novella develops, the author goes on to build in many other messages about the importance of communication and how damaging even innocuous secrecy can be to a relationship.

2. How does the author use historical context in order to shed light on Florence and Edward's behavior during their wedding night dinner?

Early in the narrative, the author uses a small moment in the story to shed light on the historical context of Florence and Edward's lives. The author describes the food as unappetizing and says that neither Florence nor Edward feels hungry. However, the time in which they live dictates that they would never think to throw down their napkins, to take off their shoes, and to run down to the beach below the hotel. The narrator points out that while later in the decade, youthful exuberance would soon come into fashion, as of this moment, Florence and Edward and others in their generation view childlike traits as undesirable. More than anything, their generation is longing for the freedom they see as inherent in adulthood.

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