“I am not a believer in love at first sight. For love, in its truest form, is not the thing of starry-eyed or star-crossed lovers, it is far more organic, requiring nurturing and time to fully bloom, and, as such, seen best not in its callow youth but in its wrinkled maturity.”
Mary Anne and David Parkin’s love story is one that illustrates the actual work that goes into a love that is worthwhile. The love in their marriage is lost because they indeed lost themselves and in turn lose each other. Consequently, David realizing what he has lost by embarking on a self-searching mission and dealing with his abandonment issues. He becomes a lost soul when he cannot deal with his daughter’s death which brings up past trauma of his mother’s abandonment. Finally, he comes to terms and reignites his love for Mary Anne and manages to recoup the marriage.
“It is often during the worst of times that we see the best of humanity–awakening within the most ordinary of us that which is most sublime.
The narrative deals with the dark moments in life that sometimes have to be conquered for a better self to emerge. Through David’s depression triggered by the loss of his daughter, the failing marriage, and abandonment issues the theme is highlighted. The statement asserted by the narrator prepares the reader for the unfolding of events in the story that proves it true. In that, David has to face his depression and conquer his guilt to make a turnaround and work on his life. Furthermore, it alludes to the nature of humanity and how in the worst moments do our empathy and compassion emerge for each other.
“A man's worth isn't measured by a bank register or diploma... It's about integrity”
The narrative delves into the subject of poverty and social status and the way it shapes our perceptions. David is a wealthy individual but understands the struggles of society hence aware that a man’s worth is beyond finances. In the assertion, David educates Leroy on the idea of financial wealth and education and how it compares to a man’s dependability. Partiality based on social status and ethnicity is rampant in the narrative and characters such as David Parkin act as the morally upright individuals.
