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 Beverly must principally contend with the heartbreak of feeling as though running away is her only option, her mother must also contend with the void Beverly opens in her life. The characters must maintain some façade of family life and sanity, contributing all the more to individual delusions of escape and return to an easier way of life or dependence on another person to save them.

Initially, Beverly is unable to think about any examples of her own mother putting her life back together, giving her somebody to lean on in tough times. She understands that the emptiness in her life she experiences through having to be her own rock has in a sense made her want to speed up and...