Intimacy

In contrast to the novel’s many examples of unhappiness and alienation, the narrative presents love and interpersonal intimacy as the most significant source of personal fulfillment. One of the most prominent examples of this dynamic is the relationship between Lillian and the twins. As the novel progresses, Lillian develops and increasingly substantive rapport with the twins, and this rapport becomes the primary source of happiness and fulfillment for those three characters. Lillian and the twins begin the novel with no genuine, loving connections, but as they become acquainted with each other, they quickly become allies, and then surrogate family members to each other. Lillian states in narration, “We had a whole summer to take this house and make it ours. And who could stop us? Jesus, we had fire” (89). The novel’s ending is happy and triumphant solely based on the fact that Lillian is...