The Paradise Problem

The novel emphasizes the importance of personal authenticity over social pretense through the triumph of Anna’s values over the Westons’. The novel’s premise—that Anna must conceal her true self to fit in with people for whom “literally everything is for show” (200)—makes this struggle its central conflict. The battle for Liam’s inheritance is a concrete one, but the battle to prevent pretense from destroying both Anna’s and Liam’s personal authenticity is the emotional crux of the storyline.

From the start, Anna marvels at how the wealthy think and behave differently, marveling at the fact that they always seem to know when to tip and which fork to use, and she watches with bemusement as they use euphemisms like “eccentric” or take out the trash while wearing their Gucci slides. Everything about the Westons—even their shoes—denotes extreme status and privilege. Thus, Anna must metaphorically step into someone else’s shoes to play her role on the trip. Her unease with this assignment is apparent when she is late to meet Liam at the airport because she cannot walk effectively in her designer sandals. When she “stumbles, ankle twisting awkwardly on the skinny, murder-sharp heel of her shoe” (45), this moment suggests the precarious and dangerous aspects of the pretense that she must maintain.