Essay Questions

How does Napolitano build the theme of family love in her novel?

The novel's main theme is family love. Every person in Padavano's family has a role of ensuring they maintain their strong bond. The Padavano sisters are loyal to each other because they support one another always. When William visits the Padavano family, he experiences love for the first time. Contrary to William's home, where parents are cold and individualistic, the Padavano sisters have a warm relationship with their parents. Napolitano exemplifies the power of family love because it gives each member a sense of belonging. When the Padavano sisters welcome William to their family, he feels loved, appreciated, and important.

How does Ann Napolitano symbolize William’s loneliness in the novel Hello Beautiful?

In the novel Hello Beautiful, William's home symbolizes loneliness. William's parents are always busy with their work. Therefore, William feels neglected in his home because no one pays attention to him. William is the only child, and all his parents are working people who value their office duties than spending time with their son. Therefore, William is trapped in his home with nobody to keep him company. As a result, William feels secluded from the rest of society.

Why is the author portraying the marriage between William and Julia as ironic?

When William marries Julia, he expects her to love him unconditionally. For instance, William believes Julia will never judge him based on his dark past and failures. However, William later discovers that Julia is a perfectionist with a ten-year plan of what she expects from him. In Julia's plan, she expects William to have an excellent career. Ironically, instead of living happily in his marriage, William finds himself trapped with a partner who does not accept him as he is. For instance, Julia judges him for not accomplishing his career goals in time. Consequently, there is situational irony in this case because William is disappointed after realizing that he must conform to particular expectations in his marriage.