46 pages • 1 hour read
Julia PhillipsA modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Summary
Background
Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Character Analysis
Themes
Symbols & Motifs
Important Quotes
Essay Topics
Tools
The novel’s 28-year-old protagonist, Sam, is devoted to her older sister and their ailing mother. A reserved young woman, Sam deliberately interacts very little with those outside her household. She’s hardworking and determined to contribute to the family’s finances as much as possible. She relies heavily, however, on her older sister, Elena, to be the responsible breadwinner who manages the household and shoulders the burden of their ailing mother’s care. At times, Sam feels guilty for the imbalance of the workload but feels that Elena is unbothered by this distribution. Sam’s defining characteristic is her focus on the future and her optimism that she can create a more meaningful life than she is currently living. She survives the dull, mundane routine of her job by daydreaming about her plan to sell their home and leave the island. These daydreams indicate that Sam is optimistic but also somewhat shortsighted about the true difficulties she’ll face in executing this plan.
Sam is highly nostalgic, as is evident in the frequent flashbacks that depict her childhood on the island with Elena and their mother. Even though the family faced some economic hardship then (though not as severe), Sam has an idyllic view of this time in her life.
Animals in Literature
View Collection
Appearance Versus Reality
View Collection
Beauty
View Collection
Books on Justice & Injustice
View Collection
Canadian Literature
View Collection
Community
View Collection
Family
View Collection
Fate
View Collection
Fear
View Collection
Friendship
View Collection
Good & Evil
View Collection
Grief
View Collection
Guilt
View Collection
Memory
View Collection
Mortality & Death
View Collection
Mothers
View Collection
Romance
View Collection
Safety & Danger
View Collection
Trust & Doubt
View Collection
Truth & Lies
View Collection
Valentine's Day Reads: The Theme of Love
View Collection