Escapism

The escapism demonstrated by the characters within the novel shows the boundaries of what the human spirit and an individual family may withstand. Although Judy must principally contend with the heartbreak of separating from her husband but not having the financial means to divorce and live apart, the rest of her family must also contend with the confusion she opens in their lives by treating Charlotte as her primary concern and retreating from family life. The characters must maintain some façade of family life and sanity. The façade contributes all the more to individual escape delusions of returning to an easier way of life or dependence on another person to save them.

Initially, Judy does not have any examples of the way her role models used to help in putting her back together, giving her somebody to lean on in tough times. She can...