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The Arsonist


One of our most elegant and engrossing novelists at her inimitable best.
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Why do you think Miller chose to provide the backstory of Sylvia and Adrian’s high school romance? How does their shared connection manifest throughout the novel?

Created: 07/27/14

Replies: 4

Posted Jul. 27, 2014 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
davinamw

Join Date: 10/15/10

Posts: 3442

Why do you think Miller chose to provide the backstory of Sylvia and Adrian’s high school romance? How does their shared connection manifest throughout the novel?

Why do you think Miller chose to provide the backstory of Sylvia and Adrian’s high school romance? How does their shared connection manifest throughout the novel? Do you think Sylvia clings to this memory as a way of explaining why she feels she no longer loves Alfie?


Posted Jul. 30, 2014 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
gretchenm

Join Date: 06/04/12

Posts: 26

RE: Why do you think Miller chose to provide the backstory of Sylvia and Adrian’s high school romance? How does their shared connection manifest throughout the novel?

To give the reader another side of Sylvie and a picture of the woman she felt had gotten lost along the way as her marriage progressed.


Posted Jul. 30, 2014 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
cynthiad

Join Date: 11/25/12

Posts: 34

RE: Why do you think Miller chose to provide the backstory of Sylvia and Adrian’s high school romance? How does their shared connection manifest throughout the novel?

I agree with gretchenm. It shows Sylvia as a "normal" teenager.
I DID feel, however that both Adrian and Sylvia were a little overly defensive about an encounter at this time and wondered why. Did I miss something?


Posted Jul. 31, 2014 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
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donnac

Join Date: 03/26/14

Posts: 139

RE: Why do you think Miller chose to provide the backstory of Sylvia and Adrian’s high school romance? How does their shared connection manifest throughout the novel?

I think they were sensitive about their "affair" because they were at a time in their lives when life (Pomeroy, Alfie, etc.) was changing and they may have felt guilty about longing for a simpler time. Maybe?


Posted Aug. 01, 2014 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
kenanr

Join Date: 02/20/14

Posts: 41

RE: Why do you think Miller chose to provide the backstory of Sylvia and Adrian’s high school romance? How does their shared connection manifest throughout the novel?

Initially I thought it was to give Sylvia a unique perspective of the town as she straddled the bridge between being a "local' and one of the "summer people". I felt like this point of view possibility never came to any actual fruition as the character of Sylvia seemed much more focused on her own situation. So outside of giving a little insight into their awkward encounters it sort of went nowhere.


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