Life's Too Short

Vanessa Price is the adventurous, spontaneous main female character. She is a round, dynamic character. She is constantly on the move, inspired by her popular travel vlog and a mission to live life to the fullest. Adrian says, “She had this bottomless-energy thing about her. Something perky and shiny, the thing news anchors pretend to have on air” (53). Yet, beneath her vibrant exterior lies a woman haunted by loss and a looming fear of mortality. Vanessa’s life is ruled by ALS, which took the lives of her female family members at a young age, and Vanessa believes she may be next. This belief fuels her resistance to long-term plans and romantic attachment, as well as confirming whether she has the disease. Her fierce independence is empowering and isolating as she embraces life while shielding herself from future pain. She is most vulnerable and honest with her thousands of YouTube followers, where she documents her journey and raises awareness and funds for ALS. Despite her circumstances, Vanessa exemplifies Resilience Amid Adversity. She faces her challenges head-on and often turns the focus away from her assumed illness, seeking joy in the small moments of life, and lives with a “now or never” mentality.

Haunted by the fear of dying before 30, Vanessa avoids deep connections and long-term plans. Traveling the world and keeping relationships light protects her from heartbreak. When her half-sister leaves her baby daughter with her, Vanessa must adopt a slower, rooted life, leading her to meet Adrian. He supports Vanessa as she cares for her father, brother, sister, and Grace. Loving deeply feels risky, but the closer she gets to him, the more Adrian challenges her outlook. While Vanessa is impulsive, Adrian is steady and thoughtful. He enters her life as a consistent presence. Adrian brings her the safety and stability she never knew she could have through his unwavering support. With him and the baby, Vanessa faces the idea that love is worth the risk, despite an uncertain future.

Gerald Price is Vanessa’s father and represents a complicated part of her past and present struggle. Since her mother’s and sister’s deaths, Vanessa’s father’s grief has manifested in hoarding. Gerald’s hoarding impacts Vanessa’s life as it creates a strained father-daughter relationship and causes Vanessa anxiety as she fears for her father’s safety and that he will lose his home. Gerald’s hoarding stems from his clinging to the past and unresolved emotions. Growing up with a father consumed by hoarding contributed to Vanessa’s intense need for freedom. Vanessa, in contrast, lives with the constant fear that her life will be short, which drives her to value experiences over possessions. Where Gerald’s hoarding creates physical and emotional clutter, Vanessa pursues minimalism and mobility to avoid being trapped by possessions.

Gerald’s cluttered, filthy house presents as neglect and abandonment, yet his character reveals a deep love for his children. Vanessa says, “Dad, even with all his faults, had kept us together after Mom’s death. We’d lost her, but we never lost each other” (308). The clutter symbolizes the emotional turmoil he never processed, and Vanessa carries that mess with her long after she leaves his home. Vanessa visits Gerald’s home and confronts the literal and symbolic weight of his hoarding. It’s a turning point, as she sees not just the damage it caused her, but the pain it masks in him, saying, “It wasn’t easy living through the things he did. I think enough tragedy can unravel anyone” (187). Instead of judging him, the moment pushes her toward compassion for her father and herself. She reaches out for help, knowing Gerald’s issues won’t be fixed just by cleaning the house. With Sonja’s intervention, Gerald deals with the underlying issues around his hoarding, gets a stable job, and moves toward a place of physical and emotional health. Gerald’s healing, in turn, allows for healing in his relationship with Vanessa and enables him to be a presence in Grace’s life. Gerald is a round, dynamic character.