Love and Self-Discovery

In her personal journey, Emma struggles to define love in her life and to determine the things and people that give her the most passion. Emma’s journey can be viewed as a transition from the frustrating and emotionally muted life that she leads in Pittsburgh to the passionate and fulfilling life that she lives in Brazil. Two figures in the book who most readily personify the extremes of this transition are Miles and Marcus. Just as Emma falls out of love with Miles and in love with Marcus, so too does she realize that her true self lies in the heart of Brazil among the culture and art that has most inspired her in her life. Not only do Marcus and Miles represent geographical and cultural differences, but their respective relationships with Emma also serve to reveal her truest self to both Emma...