Summary

XIV (104-109) — Lily reflects on her parent’s uninspiring privilege and mobility, their struggle to survive during the Australian Depression, and their rigid “sense of moral certainty” (104). She finds these qualities in her parents drab and boring. She then contrasts her parent’s characterization with the Trenthams, who were exciting and complex. Lily learned the “habit of attention” from Evan, “the habit of being amazed” (105). Lily wanted to be apart of the Trentham's world rather than experience her parent’s stagnant reality.

While living with the Trenthams, Lily experienced extreme teenage freedoms. Lily remarked that Eva had begun sneaking out of the house at night, and assumed that Eva was meeting with Robert, the boy they went cliff jumping with. Robert expressed jealousy, however, at Eva and Lily’s relationship. The girls were “living an intimated, entwined existence,” and...