The Importance of Connection

The Ensemble consistently drives home the theme that love and connection with other people is the most important element of a satisfying life. Characters who fail to form lasting connections with other people come across to the reader as shallow and self-centered, but also as lonely and unbalanced: Fodorio is a prime example, someone who has chosen fame and success over love and family. The novel explores the complexities of relationships, including the fact that commitment carries responsibilities and obligations that do reduce personal freedom, spontaneity, and even stability. However, the rewards of close friends, family, and romantic partners are manifold, and the lead characters of The Ensemble find peaceful points by the end of the novel largely by choosing to prioritize each other and the other emotional connections in their lives. This theme is so central to the novel that the characters...