Endless Love

Endless Love explores the uncertainty surrounding what counts as a mental health condition in a society that values labels and diagnoses over honest communication. David’s obsessive love for Jade creates a scenario that blurs the lines between normative emotions and mental instability. Though the text never directly describes David as having a mental health condition, it shows that his alienation and isolation—both self-imposed and circumstantial—fuel his psychological and emotional instability. The fact of his writing the narrative in hindsight suggests that David’s psychological instability was temporary rather than chronic, but here, too, the novel stops short of denying that David had a mental health condition.

The novel’s clearest message on the subject is that healthy interpersonal relationships foster mental health while alienation and dysfunctional relationships foster mental instability. From the outset, David is portrayed as a deeply isolated character, both emotionally and socially. His obsessive love for Jade is not just an expression of youthful passion but a manifestation of his profound loneliness. David’s isolation is rooted in dysfunctional family life, where meaningful communication is virtually nonexistent. His parents, Rose and Arthur Axelrod, are trapped in a loveless marriage, their interactions characterized by bitterness and resentment. This toxic environment leaves David without a solid emotional foundation, driving him to seek solace in his relationship with Jade. However, rather than alleviating his isolation, David’s relationship with Jade intensifies as he becomes increasingly consumed by his obsession, distancing himself from everyone else.

Just as David is never definitively diagnosed, David’s obsession with Jade is never labeled as a cause or an effect of a mental health condition; whether he was psychologically unstable and this led to his obsession, or whether his obsession led to his mental unraveling is never made clear. What is made clear is that his deteriorating emotional state is exacerbated by his isolation. He views Jade not as a separate individual with her own desires and needs but as his life’s sole source of meaning and purpose. This unhealthy attachment is a coping mechanism for David, allowing him to escape from the bleak realities of his life. However, it also traps him in a vicious cycle of obsession and despair. As his relationship with Jade deteriorates, David’s mental state becomes increasingly unstable. His inability to cope with the loss of Jade, coupled with his refusal to seek help or connect with others, drives him to extreme actions, such as setting the Butterfields’ house on fire in a desperate attempt to regain control over his life.

The fire that David sets at the Butterfields’ house is a turning point in the novel, symbolizing the destructive power of his alienation. It is an act of desperation, born out of David’s overwhelming sense of loss and inability to process his emotions healthily. The fire is not just a physical manifestation of David’s inner turmoil but also a metaphor for how his isolation has consumed him, leaving him with nothing but his obsession. In the fire’s aftermath, David’s isolation becomes even more pronounced. Physically separated from Jade and her family, David’s mental state deteriorates further as he becomes increasingly disconnected from reality.

Lack of community is one of the main drivers of mental instability in the novel. Separated from Jade, his family, and the familiar structures of his previous life, David’s time in prison leads to profound physical and psychological deterioration. He develops a limp, begins talking to himself, and struggles to function on even the most basic level, highlighting the deepening effects of his isolation. After his transfer to Rockville, David experiences a brief period of growth, finding solace in connections with other patients and the doctors. However, this progress is fragile, and upon learning of Jade’s marriage, he relapses, revealing the enduring grip of his obsessive love and the inescapable cycle of isolation and instability that defines his existence.

Jade Butterfield, too, experiences isolation in her own way, which contributes to her emotional instability. As the only daughter in a family that values intellectual achievement above all else, Jade often feels neglected and overshadowed by her brothers. Her relationship with David initially gives her a sense of validation and importance that she lacks within her own family. However, as their relationship intensifies and becomes more consuming, Jade finds herself isolated from her family and friends. She becomes increasingly dependent on David, and this dependency only deepens her emotional isolation.

Rose Axelrod, David’s mother, also illustrates the theme of the construct of mental health conditions. Rose’s instability is evident in her erratic behavior and volatile moods, which create a tense and unstable home environment. Her relationship with David is characterized by emotional manipulation and control, which only serves to deepen his isolation and exacerbate his mental health issues. Rose’s isolation—stemming from her unhappy marriage and unfulfilled desires—creates a cycle of dysfunction that impacts everyone in the Axelrod household. Rose’s inability to provide David with the emotional support he needs only deepens his sense of isolation, contributing to his downward spiral.

Arthur’s detachment and passivity are indicative of his own struggles with mental health. He is unable to connect with either Rose or David on a meaningful level, and this emotional distance leaves him isolated within his own family. Arthur’s alienation manifests in his inability to take decisive action or to provide the emotional support that his family desperately needs. His isolation is both a cause and a consequence of his mental health issues, creating a vicious cycle that perpetuates the dysfunction within the Axelrod family.

David is treated with lithium, which implies that he is diagnosed with bipolar disorder, but this neither stops nor explains his attachment to Jade. He notes that his moods improve and he feels calmer with the drug, but as soon as he hears that Jade has married abroad, his erratic behavior resurfaces, and he engages in a series of meaningless sexual relationships. This suggests that David’s emotional issues go deeper than a mental health condition or that his implied diagnosis is incorrect. In both cases, the novel calls the construct of mental health conditions as defined by the psychiatric community into question as a meaningful way of describing and regulating human behavior.