Ballet

Ballet in the novel symbolizes personal fulfillment through artistic expression. Ballet was one of Catherine’s primary interests throughout her life. She unfortunately could not be a professional ballet dancer, as on of her legs was shorter than the other, but she remained interested in dancing, and she occasionally taught ballet to make a living.

Mental Illness

Catherine’s struggles with mental illness symbolize the profound challenges of chronic health issues. Catherine’s mental health issues appeared to be rooted in traumatic experiences and other factors beyond her control. Catherine struggled with these issues for decades and unfortunately died by suicide at the age of 60.

Catherine’s Death

Catherine’s death symbolizes the fatal toll that mental illness can sometimes have. Catherine struggled with mental health issues for decades. According to Violaine’s narrative, one of Catherine’s main motivations for struggling against mental illness was...