The View From Lake Como

“You see, I’m the people pleaser in my family, the unsung cook, maid, babysitter, and driver. Looking down the road, I will become the nurse, responsible for our soon-to-be-elderly parents, because my brother and sister have families of their own. I am newly single and childless, which means I’m available to serve—more. My role has been carved as if it were etched in marble. And I know marble.”

Jess writes a letter of introduction to Dr. Sharon in which she uses a simile to compare her family role to a message that is carved in marble, introducing the motif of marble into the text. This simile draws attention to how immutable the role seems. As a “people pleaser” and a “single and childless” daughter, Jess’s ability to reject this role feels as small as the possibility of erasing something etched into stone.

“I felt my throat constrict. I put my hands on my neck and tried to inhale air, but I couldn’t get enough in. The panic attacks were usually triggered by a series of challenges I couldn’t meet. That day had been particularly brutal; I couldn’t do anything right, and then there was the teasing. It was too much.”

This line makes it clear that Jess’s panic attacks are related to her family’s and community’s high expectations of her. It also suggests that Jess will need to separate herself from them to diminish her anxiety. This highlights Independence as a Catalyst for Transformation, as the more her confidence grows, the less anxious she will be.

“You’re a girl of simple tastes. You don’t aspire to things; you like books and museums. What can I tell you? Here’s the problem with the Bilancias. They wouldn’t know art if you broke the Mona Lisa over their heads. They value the purse.”

Jess’s father has a better understanding of why her marriage to Bobby didn’t work out than just about anyone else. He sees that Bobby’s and Jess’s values simply don’t align. At the same time, even her father doesn’t see all of Jess. He thinks she doesn’t “aspire” to anything, but she does: She aspires to travel, become independent, and live differently from the other Barattas.