Kindness

This theme is demonstrated very early on in the book, and is a common thread throughout the rest of the novel. The basis of the story hinges on Laurent going out of his way to be kind towards someone that he doesn’t even know. While he ends up falling in love with Laure, he was only able to meet her because he saw that there was a missing handbag and he wanted to see it returned to the proper owner. He only started to develop feelings when he went through the handbag, but he still spent that first day just trying to be a good person to help a stranger. In the end, his kindness was rewarded, since this dedication is what won Laure over.

The theme is shown again through the character of William. William is one of Laure’s coworkers, the only one...