Fake Skating

“Everything about ‘our spot’ remained the same. And, who was I kidding, so was the memory of her. Of Dani.”

This passage uses the setting of Dani and Alec’s secret “spot” to reveal aspects of Alec’s emotional state. The fact that their spot feels unchanged suggests that in some sense, their deepest bonds to one another are equally as solid, despite the misunderstandings that have grown between them. The passage also shows that physical places can hold memory, almost like a time capsule of the teens’ shared past. The halting half-sentences emphasize Alec’s longing and his unresolved feelings. His life has changed, but this place and what it represents have not. Dani’s memory has lingered beneath the surface despite his attempts to suppress it.

“I wanted to go to Harvard like Lorelai wanted Rory to go to Harvard.”

This line uses a pop-culture allusion to the television show Gilmore Girls to communicate the intensity of Dani’s ambition. By comparing Dani’s Harvard dreams to Lorelai’s obsession with her daughter Rory attending Harvard, Painter captures the protagonist’s aspirations in a single reference. The exaggeration also creates a humorously hyperbolic tone even as it reflects Dani’s need to gain a sense of control and achievement amidst the chaos of her family life.