Hubert crafts an exciting lifestyle for himself in a notebook instead of going out and living it. Why do you feel he does this?

Hubert crafts an exciting lifestyle for himself in a notebook instead of going out and living it. Why do you feel he does this even though he knows that it’s not his daughter on the phone that he’s telling these stories to?

It is Hubert's way of staying in touch with and holding on to his past. He knew what his mother, wife, and daughter expected of him, and what he was capable of, so he created his own private world in a notebook. It was like a diary but, but instead of what really happened, it was what he would have wanted to happen.

Well, at first, I thought it was just notes to help him remember what he had told his daughter about his friends and adventures. (Got to keep the lies straight). After learning the truth, however, I think he was living vicariously thru the various events he had supposedly experienced with his friends. In today's world, you can easily do this on Facebook or other social media. I'm sure there are many fictitious lives being lived out there in the cyberworld. I think it was a case of wishful thinking on his part...the life he'd LIKE to have been living.

Hubert knows that his wife and daughter would not want him to be living the life he has chosen. He does not have the energy or motivation to live that life once they are both gone, but he honors their memory by making an effort through his journals.

It was a way to hide and not deal with his real life. He was imagining what things could be like if his daughter was still alive. It was a coping mechanism, but not a healthy one.

I think it allowed to live his lonely life without it being too painful. His notes allowed him to weave a story of a life that he wished he was living.

I think he was afraid to live the life his wife and daughter wanted him to so he wrote about it in a journal to pretend it was true.

I think Hubert was shy and afraid to go out into the world to meet people. So he lived his life through his journal, hiding away from reality, until he discovered that he really could get out and have friends and accomplish things with the help and support of others.

I think Hubert wrote about people and things that he would like to have in his life. His conversations with Rose were his way of thinking about what life could be.

I thought this was incredibly timely as so many of us are currently trying to find a way to return to engaging with people after the isolation imposed by COVID. I have struggled at times to go from journaling and "living in my head" to actually stepping out and connecting with people. Once you have withdrawn it is challenging to step forward again especially if you are not extroverted by nature.

Wow, Karolyn, I'm having the exact same experience. Like you, I'm an introvert, and now I'm having a lot of trouble getting back into the real world. Consequently, I could relate to Hubert for sure.

By doing it on paper, he can fully control the narrative and prevent himself from experiencing pain and/or rejection.