Second First Impressions

The novel’s opening chapters establish the Providence Retirement Villa as a physical extension of Ruthie Midona’s psychological state. Her world is defined by meticulous checklists, security protocols, and predictable routines, mirroring the insular and highly regulated environment of the villa. This deliberate construction of a safe space is a response to a fear of the unpredictable “outside world,” a place where a simple errand to a gas station results in humiliation. Ruthie’s security rounds underscore her need for control and the rigidity of her world, with her workplace and personality merging into one. This self-imposed containment is directly linked to the theme of Embracing Risk to Escape Self-Imposed Limits. The villa functions as Ruthie’s protective shell, and her reluctance to leave its grounds illustrates a belief that safety is preferable to experience. Theodore “Teddy” Prescott’s arrival represents a significant breach. He is the embodiment of the chaotic outside world, moving in next door and disrupting the ordered life Ruthie has so carefully maintained. His presence forces a confrontation between her stagnant existence and the possibility of a life defined by spontaneity. That this disruption comes directly from the villa’s new corporate owners, the Prescott family, also foreshadows the novel’s broader conflict between Ruthie’s need for stability and the threat of institutional change.

The narrative’s first-person perspective is crucial in developing the theme of The Unreliability of First Impressions. By confining the reader to Ruthie’s internal monologue, the text establishes her as an unreliable narrator of her own life. Her self-perception is distorted by past trauma and insecurity, leading her to write a dating profile that describes herself as an “very old soul (24 going on 124)” (3). This exaggerated self-image demonstrates how she mistakes rigidity for maturity. Ruthie’s instinctive first impressions often skew negative: She dismisses Melanie as a flighty temp, views the Parloni sisters as a professional nuisance, and categorizes Teddy as a privileged, careless “bad boy.” The gas station incident serves as the central metaphor for this theme, as Teddy’s mistaken impression of Ruthie becomes the catalyst for their relationship. His laughter is predicated on a surface-level reading of her conservative clothing, a judgment that fails to perceive the young woman beneath. When Ruthie learns the “bad boy” from the gas station is also her boss’s son and her new neighbor, the irony of mistaken impressions doubles back on itself. The narrative structure, which presents Ruthie’s flawed judgment before revealing a more complex reality, reinforces the idea that true understanding requires looking beyond initial appearances. The immediate twist underscores the risks of relying on snap judgments. As the narrative unfolds, these relationships deepen, highlighting how everyone’s initial assessments miss the complexity, and ultimately the warmth, beneath the surface.

Melanie and Teddy function as narrative foils, representing two distinct forces that challenge Ruthie’s stasis. Melanie introduces the Sasaki Method, a structured approach to embracing the risks of dating. Her plan, with its “schedule of homework activities” (9), appeals to Ruthie’s need for order while pushing her toward the romantic chaos she fears. Melanie acts as a friendly instigator, translating the prospect of change into a manageable process. Her brightly confident personality also embodies the kind of peer Ruthie rarely allows herself—someone her own age who insists on treating her like a friend rather than a caretaker. Teddy, in contrast, embodies impulsiveness. He is the antithesis of Ruthie’s world of rules. His body is covered in tattoos, a permanent record of a life lived without fear of irreversible marks, which stands in stark opposition to Ruthie’s plain exterior. This contrast is symbolized by his “GIVE” and “TAKE” knuckle tattoos, suggesting a dynamic engagement with the world that is alien to Ruthie’s guarded self-sufficiency (51). The sisters’ white shirt challenge, which Teddy throws himself into with humor and resourcefulness, highlights his willingness to leap into the absurd where Ruthie would cling to protocol. Where Melanie offers a roadmap for change, Teddy simply is change, a chaotic force whose presence destabilizes Ruthie’s world.

The initial chapters embed the novel’s primary symbols, which serve as direct representations of the protagonist’s internal state. The endangered golden bonnet tortoises are a reflection of Ruthie herself: slow-moving, shielded by a protective shell, and living a limited existence within the “highest concentration” (13) of their kind on the planet. Her daily task of moving them off the path is a metaphor for her own resistance to forward momentum; she facilitates their safety but remains stuck in the same cycle. Similarly, the wholesome television show Heaven Sent symbolizes the idealized, predictable world Ruthie craves. Her role as the founder and administrator of its online fan forum allows her to cultivate a community from a safe distance, engaging with others without the risks of genuine vulnerability. Both the tortoises and fictional worlds represent the comfort she finds in a life devoid of surprise, establishing the emotional stakes of her eventual decision to step outside this curated sanctuary. They also reinforce Ruthie’s tendency to hide in protective layers, making Teddy’s irreverence and directness all the more destabilizing.

These chapters also introduce the theme of Redefining Home and Family Through Connection. Providence is immediately framed as more than a workplace; for Ruthie, it is a sanctuary and a source of community. The looming threat of redevelopment by Prescott Development Corporation establishes the central conflict, forcing the narrative to articulate what makes the villa a home worth preserving. It is not the physical structures but the network of supportive relationships that defines the community. The Parloni sisters, despite their demanding nature, represent a core component of this found family. Teddy’s interview process functions as a rite of passage, testing not an applicant’s professional skills but their capacity for resilience—the very qualities needed to belong at Providence. Teddy’s arrival as a displaced son from a fractured family positions him to find his own sense of belonging within this unconventional space, suggesting that home is a place one actively creates through mutual care and acceptance. By aligning Ruthie’s fate with the tortoises, the Parlonis, and Providence itself, the novel frames her journey as one of claiming family and stability by choice.

Another important angle is how the early chapters frame generational contrast as a narrative tool. Ruthie, a young woman who behaves like an elder, works in a community designed for people decades older than herself, while Teddy, who is roughly her age, refuses to take on the responsibilities expected of an adult. This inversion creates a comic but also poignant contrast: Ruthie is prematurely aged by trauma, while Teddy is artificially prolonged in youth by privilege. Their collision at Providence demonstrates this imbalance, setting up a central tension of the novel—how characters of the same generation can embody radically different stages of life.

The chapters also establish tone and pacing conventions that echo romantic comedy structures. The gas station encounter, Jerry’s sudden introduction of Teddy as Ruthie’s new neighbor, and the Parlonis’ eccentric interview all function as set pieces reminiscent of meet-cute or fish-out-of-water scenes in rom-com film. By embedding these comedic beats within the unusual setting of a retirement villa, Thorne both honors and gently parodies the genre. This tonal blend signals to the reader that the novel will balance heartfelt character development with absurd, humorous situations, maintaining levity even as it explores heavier subjects such as trauma and vulnerability.