Abandonment

Emotional abandonment and neglect is highly present in the first short story “Lulu” and the palpable disappointment Lulu’s twin brother feels from their parents. Lulu is accustomed to being the more highly favored child due to her academic prowess and natural curiosity. Lulu carries the expectations of her parents for she was born with many more advantages and opportunities than they ever had access to. She was “a model among model students. She studied so intensely that it left her physically bowed and exhausted, like an athlete running a daily marathon, and at night she dropped off to sleep without a word” (9).

Perhaps the most salient expression of abandonment is the deliberate namelessness of Lulu’s brother. He is only important or known as an extension of his talented sister, a fact which causes a quiet sense of rebellion and resentment. Lulu’s brother loves...