Vanity

The story’s protagonist is Peter; a man who is obsessed with his physical health and appearance. Thus, Paley uses Peter’s character to explore the theme of vanity throughout the story. She uses his character for this purpose in a number of ways, such as through Peter’s dialogue and actions. Paley also attributes some vanity to Anna’s character.

The structure of Peter’s dialogue is one prominent way in which Paley attributes vanity to Peter’s character. Most of Peter’s topics of conversation serve merely as a means for Peter to segue into a conversation about his life. For example, at the beginning of the story, Peter tells Anna, “I’d like to see your place … you should see my living room” (45). At first, Peter appears to be interested in how Anna’s life has progressed since the pair separated. However, the...