Books

As a young girl, and on through her adulthood, Deborah finds the most comfort and solace in her books. When she is a child and adolescent, she sneaks to the local library and secretly checks out forbidden novels in English. Initially, she hopes to be delivered from her circumstances by magical happenings as in the novels. As she matures and her reading expands, she begins identifying with the heroines of the pages, hoping to be someday as empowered as them. Books grant Deborah a sense of belonging, and allow her to ultimately imagine a future for herself beyond her prescribed life.

Deborah's Watch

Before Deborah and Eli's wedding, Eli gives Deborah a watch for a holiday gift. Though she desperately wants to love the watch, it is ill-fitting and gaudy. She realizes that Eli has not chosen it himself, signifying his inability to understand her at all...