Pushing Boundaries/Being True to Self

Through the characters of Matthew, Jen, and Lucy, The Long Call explores being true to self by living outside of some of society's preconceived boundaries. However, guilt is sometimes the price to be paid for living on your own terms.

Matthew pushes boundaries when he comes home from college and expresses his view of the Brethren. Even though he becomes an outcast and cannot see his parents, whom his cares about, he still revels in his freedom. Thus, he does not apologize just to see his parents again. He goes even further by being true to himself and marrying Jonathan even though he knows that this goes against the beliefs of the Brethren. However, he suffers because he still needs the validation of his mother to feel fulfilled. This takes years for him to get. The narrator says that Matthew feels...