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Adolescence: Chapter 18
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in My Brilliant Friend, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Female Friendship
Masculine vs. Feminine Violence
Women’s Work
Poverty, Social Climbing, and Sacrifice
The Uses of Community
Love, Sex, and Strategy
Summary
Analysis
Between Lenù’s renewed friendship with Lila, her success in school, and her relationship with Gino, Lenù begins to feel strong and confident. She notices that when Lila talks to her about Greek and literature, Lila seems to be trying to prove herself to Lenù and demonstrate that she is still Lenù’s “equal,” a dynamic which also makes Lenù feel superior. Lila and Rino show Lenù their continued work on their fancy shoes—though they are proud of their efforts, Lenù is confused by the frivolous shoes. Lenù often watches Lila and Rino work on their model and test the leather against scratches and water—it is clear to her, through Rino and Lila’s passion for their project, that the shoes mean everything to them.
Lenù struggles with her feelings of superiority toward Lila, even as their friendship reaches new peaks of closeness and security. Lenù feels uncomfortable being the one who is ahead in terms of tangible success—she feels as if Lila is scrambling to keep up with her for the first time. Lenù feels almost guilty about her success and how it has motivated Lila not just to study on her own, but to throw herself so entirely into the shoe project, believing it will afford her the same opportunities that Lenù’s education is affording her.
Themes
