Nina

Nina represents the suffering that those with anxiety deal with on a daily basis. Not only is she afraid that the worst will happen in every situation, she feels compelled to plan everything in her life to keep that from happening. There are multiple times throughout the novel where Nina is crippled by her anxiety or forced into a panic attack that she convinces herself she can handle on her own. However, the author uses Nina’s journey to show that anxiety is not something anyone should try and fight on their own. It is a true medical issue that one can seek to improve, but only if they are willing to let others in like Nina does with Tom and the rest of her family.

The Planner

Nina’s planner represents how trapped she is in her own life without realizing it. This is why...