Happiness
When the concept of happiness is a topic of discussion, objectivity is inappropriate, as the idea of happiness means different things to each person. For some, happiness presupposes enjoying everyday and accepting life as it is; for others, happiness is to do what one loves and to work really hard to achieve desired results. In the novel, the concept of happiness is touched on in the example of Persephone, who is sure that “Happiness in life is not a given, it must be seized.” For Persephone happiness is a thing, which cannot be easily seized. But this idea is ironic, as Persephone being “a strong woman” has no happiness in life. The words she applies to her belief do not work on herself.
Friends
Edie is a rather shy and timid person, and feels herself better among books than among people. At the first glance it might seem that she is a “geek” and finds rescue from reality in literature. But Edie is a reasonable person, and her sense of humor proves it. When she claims that her friends are words, not people, she does not lie, she really is fond of words. But she is sad that these friends cannot “offer the use of a spare bedroom for a month or two”.
Childish naivety
When Edie’s mother, Merry, was spending summer in the Milderhurst castle, she became very close friends with Juniper, the youngers of the three sisters. Juniper liked to talk with Merry, and once was simply astonished by Merry’s responses. Juniper asked Merry: “How can a person expect to escape their destiny, Merry? That is the question." It is obvious that the question is a rhetorical one, but little Merry answered it with extreme seriousness: "There's always the train, I guess. I mean, there are buses, too, but I think the train would be faster. A smoother ride, as well.” The little girl accepted destiny as something physical, something a person could escape from, and the most convenient way to do this is a train. “Juniper thought at first she'd misheard; she glanced at Meredith and realized that the child was completely serious”. Sometimes childish naivety is a source of wisdom.
