Second First Impressions

“Position Vacant. Two ancient old women residing at Providence Retirement Villa seek male assistant for casual exploitation and good-natured humiliation.”

The verbatim text of the Parloni sisters’ preferred job advertisement serves as an efficient tool for characterization, immediately establishing their eccentric, confrontational, and humorous personalities. The diction, particularly “exploitation” and “humiliation,” sets them up as agents of chaos who enjoy subverting social norms. This ad functions as an inciting incident for Teddy’s storyline at Providence and introduces the theme of The Unreliability of First Impressions, as the sisters’ abrasive public persona belies their private vulnerabilities.

“When he straightens to full height, he’s obviously surprised. After a beat, he lets out a big joyful howl. Up at the sky, he yells at full volume, ‘Oh my God, you look absolutely amazing!’ […] ‘Are you going as one of the Golden Girls?’”

This scene explores the theme of The Unreliability of First Impressions. Teddy’s genuine but mistaken belief that Ruthie’s conservative attire is an elaborate costume creates dramatic irony and highlights the disconnect between her inner self and her outward presentation. The humiliation Ruthie feels establishes the initial conflict and tension in their relationship, defining the “first impression” that must be overcome.

“It sounds like true long-term commitment to a job. It sounds like someone who chose a role and stuck with it. Someone who doesn’t go chasing after the next shiny thing.”

In this moment of dialogue, Jerry Prescott functions as a character foil, simultaneously validating Ruthie’s life choices and criticizing his son, Teddy. Jerry’s praise reframes Ruthie’s stagnation as “commitment” and “dedication,” offering an external perspective that contrasts with her internal anxiety. The line serves a dual purpose: It deepens the father-son conflict by positioning Teddy as one who chases “the next shiny thing” and establishes Ruthie as an unwitting figure caught between their opposing values.

“For the first time, Teddy looks truly uncomfortable. ‘That’s the first interview question? What tattoo would I, a licensed tattoo artist, give Ruthie? Whatever she asked for. Let her go, please.’ His voice has dipped down into that particular register men use when they want their way, now. We three suddenly remember what he is.”

Teddy’s defense of Ruthie marks a significant shift in his characterization, moving him beyond the role of a carefree antagonist to that of a protective figure. The narrator’s observation that his voice changes to a “particular register” and that the women “suddenly remember what he is” highlights a change in the power dynamics of the scene. This moment challenges Ruthie’s initial negative impression of Teddy, suggesting an underlying integrity and forcing her to reconsider who he is beneath the surface. This moment also anticipates Teddy’s later role as Ruthie’s protector, showing that beneath his playful exterior is a capacity for seriousness and responsibility.

“I’ve enclosed myself in this dark, flowered forest and I’m glad I did. Especially right now.”

Ruthie reflects on her decision to wallpaper her cottage, which her boss considered foolish for a rental property. The wallpaper functions as a metaphor for the carefully constructed, isolated world she has built for her own protection. The description of it as a “dark, flowered forest” suggests a space that is both beautiful and confining, illustrating her ambivalence about the self-imposed limits that provide her with a sense of safety from the outside world.

“You rescue them and let them have a soft landing. I’ve never identified with a tortoise so much in my life.”

After accidentally injuring an endangered tortoise, Teddy says this to Ruthie while she tends to it. His statement expands the tortoise symbol beyond representing Ruthie’s sheltered nature to include his own feelings of displacement and vulnerability. By identifying with the rescued animal, Teddy reveals a desire for the stability and care that Ruthie provides, challenging her initial impression of him as self-sufficient and reinforcing the theme of Redefining Home and Family Through Connection.

“He delivers it. ‘I hope you’re remembering to lock the office. Here’s your mother.’”

During a phone call, Ruthie’s father responds to her news of a temporary promotion with this pointed question. The line of dialogue functions as a concise and impactful reveal of the past trauma that underpins Ruthie’s anxiety and her meticulous adherence to routines. The father’s sharp, unforgiving tone demonstrates the origin of Ruthie’s deep-seated fear of making a mistake, providing crucial motivation for her risk-averse character.

“Happiness fills the car, and it hits me that leaving Providence wasn’t hard at all; not when I was carried out, kicking and screaming. […] He put me back on the ground a while back now, but I feel like my heart has remained draped over his shoulder.”

After Teddy physically carries her out of the office to force her to attend a lunch, Ruthie reflects on the experience. The literal act of being carried becomes a metaphor for being pushed past her self-imposed boundaries, reframing a loss of control as a liberating experience. The subsequent metaphor, which figures her heart as an object “draped over his shoulder,” illustrates a significant shift in her emotional state from guardedness to vulnerable attachment, directly embodying the theme of Embracing Risk to Escape Self-Imposed Limits.

“I always know when someone is hoping I can be useful in some sort of Prescott way. I like you a lot, so I’m going to give you a spoiler on how this turns out. I can’t get involved. If you’re imagining I have some kind of influence, you are miles from the truth.”

During a serious conversation at lunch, Teddy pushes back against Ruthie’s hope that he can help save Providence. This dialogue complicates Teddy’s character by revealing his own history of being valued for his family connections rather than himself, challenging the superficial “charming rich kid” persona. His declaration establishes a primary conflict in their relationship, highlighting The Unreliability of First Impressions by exposing the weight behind his carefree exterior.

“His eyes are on the deep triangle of breast skin exposed to Renata’s solar nemesis. Arms, waist, hair, he’s not even blinking as he moves from one part to the next. His chest is rising and falling. Right in this moment, I’m extraordinary.”

Following a makeover by Renata, Ruthie experiences a moment of self-realization, triggered by Teddy’s stunned reaction. The use of visual inventory (“Arms, waist, hair”) shows Ruthie seeing herself through Teddy’s appreciative gaze, which contrasts sharply with her own self-perception. This scene is a pivotal turning point in her character arc, directly addressing the theme of The Unreliability of First Impressions by demonstrating how an external perspective can shatter a character’s limiting self-image. It also functions as an early external validation of her desirability, planting the seed for Ruthie’s eventual ability to see herself as worthy of love and risk.

“My eyes settle on the tortoise rehabilitation zone in my courtyard. Six-year-old me would be horrified to hear that administration is my ‘dream job.’ Little Kid Ruthie would have marched right into Teddy’s living room and snatched up that Reptiles for Dummies book.”

This moment of introspection explicitly links Ruthie’s present dissatisfaction to The Golden Bonnet Tortoises symbol. The tortoises, with their slow pace and protective shells, mirror Ruthie’s own sheltered life, which she now recognizes as a betrayal of her childhood ambitions. This internal monologue creates a stark contrast between Ruthie’s current state of self-imposed limitation and a past self who was unafraid of pursuing her passions, foreshadowing her eventual career change.

“‘Guys like me,’ Teddy says, and my tummy takes a dangerous dip, ‘wonder what it would take to get a girl like Francine all …’ He forks up a huge mouthful of food. ‘All messy,’ is what he goes with when he swallows. ‘Uncontrolled and kinda wild. What would it take to get her there?’”

While discussing their shared favorite TV show, Teddy uses the character of Francine—a stand-in for Ruthie—to articulate his attraction to her hidden depths. The diction of “messy,” “uncontrolled,” and “wild” directly opposes the rigid routines and checklists that define Ruthie’s existence, encapsulating the central romantic tension of the novel. By filtering his desires through the Heaven Sent* symbol, Teddy can express his wish to see Ruthie break free from her constraints without confronting her directly.*

“I get it now. Life requires full, up-to-the-neck participation.”

This quote marks a moment of anagnorisis for Ruthie during the aqua aerobics class, an activity she has observed for years but never joined. The physical act of immersing herself in the pool becomes a metaphor for her decision to engage actively with her own life instead of watching from the sidelines. This realization is presented as a concise, declarative statement, cementing the novel’s core argument for the theme of Embracing Risk to Escape Self-Imposed Limits.

“My mother says in any relationship, there’s an adorer and an adoree. One who loves, and the one who is loved. You’ll need to know which one you are.”

Melanie introduces a theoretical framework that forces Ruthie to analyze the dynamics of her relationships, particularly her burgeoning connection with Teddy. The neologisms “adorer” and “adoree” establish a binary that externalizes the novel’s “Give and Take” motif, prompting Ruthie to question whether her role is to give affection or receive it. This concept serves as an analytical lens for both Ruthie and the reader, highlighting the power imbalances and emotional economies within the narrative.

“This moment now begins to intercut with my memories of being sixteen and careless, distracted by a boy. The alarm’s going off, but I can’t hear anything except my heartbeat. […] I drop my keys twice, unlock the door, fall inside, disarm the alarm, and sit on Melanie’s desk. I proceed to have a wheezing, squeaking panic attack.”

Triggered by a tripped office alarm, Ruthie experiences a visceral, physical reaction that reveals the depth of her past trauma. The use of cinematic language, “intercut with my memories,” shows how the present event is inseparable from a formative negative experience, framing Ruthie’s rigid adherence to security protocols as a direct consequence of this memory. Her loss of fine motor skills—dropping her keys—and the sensory detail of hearing only her own heartbeat illustrate a complete loss of control, which is the very state her routines are designed to prevent.

“‘They should have stood up for you. If you said you locked the door, you did it.’ ‘But I didn’t. I just can’t remember. It’s the black spot in my memory. And I swore to myself that I’d never feel that way again. From that point on, I’ve used checklists and routine to manage myself.’”

This exchange solidifies the origin of the “Checklists and Routines” motif, explicitly connecting Ruthie’s meticulous habits to her trauma. The metaphor of a “black spot in my memory” conveys a void of certainty that she has since tried to fill with unwavering, documented procedure. Teddy’s immediate and unconditional belief in her innocence contrasts sharply with the judgment she received from her parents, highlighting the theme of Redefining Home and Family Through Connection.

“I pull him down with two handfuls of clothes, and I get the kiss I’ve been thinking about since the moment I first saw him. […] I don’t care that he’s leaving when I could have him for this moment in time. There are hundreds of minutes that could be filled with kissing before he disappears.”

In a thrift store dressing room, Ruthie initiates a passionate kiss with Teddy, marking a pivotal step in her character arc. Her narration demonstrates a conscious decision to prioritize present experience over her fear of future pain, directly engaging with the theme of Embracing Risk to Escape Self-Imposed Limits. This act signifies a deliberate break from her usual caution, as she rationalizes that even a temporary connection is worth the inevitable heartbreak of his departure. The thrift store setting, a place where discarded items gain new value, symbolically reinforces Ruthie’s transformation, as she begins to revalue herself in the same way.

“‘Brown-eyed sublime being. She of soft, deep cardigan pockets. Bubble-bath taker. Pool jumper. Cheese provider. Sunset glower. Heaven sent.’”

Reading from a baby name book, Teddy improvises a personalized definition of “Ruth” that encapsulates his perception of her. The list of epithets functions as a form of characterization, revealing how he sees her not as the rigid rule-follower she believes herself to be, but as a multifaceted person defined by their shared, intimate moments. This catalog of specific, gentle images subverts objective definition with subjective affection, illustrating the theme of The Unreliability of First Impressions.

“Teddy smiles brightly, then reflexively looks at me, and I’m in love. I always thought that love would feel like something gentle, but this isn’t. I feel a clawing, desperate need to hold his heart in my hand and to fend off anything that might damage it.”

Witnessing Teddy’s genuine happiness in his future tattoo studio, Ruthie experiences an epiphany about her feelings for him. The author contrasts her preconceived notion of love as “something gentle” with the fierce, protective reality she feels, using the visceral verb “clawing” to emphasize its intensity. This redefinition of love from a passive state to an active, defensive impulse marks a significant internal shift, as her primary emotional response becomes one of shielding him from the world’s potential harm.

“Tidy, messy. Give, take. Adorer, adoree. Together, we can be all these things.”

This quote occurs as Ruthie and Teddy begin their first romantic encounter. The concise, parallel phrases form a list of antithetical pairs that define their relationship’s central dynamic. The final sentence declares that their connection allows for a synthesis of these opposites, suggesting that their individual identities—Ruthie’s order and Teddy’s chaos—can merge into a complementary whole. By explicitly naming the binaries that have structured their relationship, the line resolves the novel’s give-and-take motif into a vision of balance, suggesting that love means holding contradictions rather than erasing them.

“If I leave right now, I’ll look guilty. Besides, I’m not the type who can just pack everything into a backpack and leave. I can’t take that kind of risk.”

Facing an ultimatum from Teddy’s sister, Ruthie articulates her core internal conflict. Her statement directly links her inability to embrace spontaneity with the fear of being wrongly perceived, a direct consequence of the trauma from her youth. This moment crystallizes the theme of Embracing Risk to Escape Self-Imposed Limits, portraying her as still imprisoned by her past and unable to choose an unknown future with Teddy over the perceived safety of her current, controlled life.

“I blink my tears into my cardigan sleeve, and on the pavement outside, I see it: a tiny, determined little lump, edging across the path. How do they keep moving themselves, despite the endless stretch of lawn ahead? They just do, inch by inch.”

In a moment of despair after Teddy’s departure, Ruthie observes one of the villa’s tortoises. The animal’s slow, persistent movement across a vast space serves as a direct symbolic parallel for her own situation. This observation becomes the catalyst for her decision to take action, transforming the tortoise from a passive background element into a potent symbol of resilience and embodying her own impending, gradual emergence from a self-imposed shell.

“Now that I am in love, I understand everything. The Parlonis are not sisters.”

At the Christmas Prom, Ruthie watches Renata and Aggie Parloni enter hand in hand. The narrative structure of this passage, using a short, declarative sentence to explain the subsequent revelation, demonstrates a shift in Ruthie’s perception fueled by her own emotional growth. This moment serves as a climax for the theme of The Unreliability of First Impressions, showing how empathy gained through personal experience allows Ruthie to see past a lifelong assumption and recognize the truth of the Parlonis’ relationship.