Longing

A longing for something one does not possess is an overriding theme of this book and the theme is seen repeated in several of the characters. In Mary's case, the longing is for youth and love. Mary tells Karl that he has the advantage of youth and the longing in her voice seems clear. Mary spends a great deal of time talking about the possibility of marrying Edgar, and in most of those conversations she talks about the advantages of the relationship. What she seems to long for is an abiding love, though she can't seem to give up on the idea of a loving relationship. In Karl's case, the longing is more obscure. Karl is poor, a refugee without family. He might be longing for any of these but it seems more likely that he's searching for something less tangible than wealth or even family. Considering Karl's...