Idealism vs. Reality Theme Analysis

Eva is often unnerved to find that she is similar in some ways to her son, Kevin, and one such similarity is that they both seek excitement in novel ways. Prior to Kevin's birth, Eva was an enthusiastic traveler, seeking novelty in exploring new countries. However, she eventually discovers that these adventures no longer satiate her desire for excitement, so she turns to a new endeavor—motherhood—to reignite the passion she once felt for travel. Yet motherhood, too, fails to give Eva the excitement and novelty she craves; when she holds Kevin for the first time, she feels emptiness. Much of motherhood, to her dismay, proves to be rather monotonous. Eva’s persistent craving for the novel and exotic leads her to spend much of her life trying to discover a metaphorical “new country,” a quest that proves perpetually unfulfilling.

She often thinks back to the surprise birthday party her mother threw for her when she was a kid. Eva figured out that her mother was planning a party, and her imagination ran wild. Though she didn’t have any concrete expectations, the party disappointed her. She knew that no matter how exciting or extravagant the party was, it would inevitably disappoint her. Eva eventually comes to accept that the fulfillment she seeks is impossible— reality will never meet her idealized expectations.

Kevin's pursuit of an idealized reality takes a darker turn as he matures. He becomes increasingly fixated on human suffering, and as he watches school shootings become an epidemic in the U.S., he comes to idealize and pursue the infamy attached to murderers . Franklin, too, constantly strives for a romanticized version of life. He idealizes America, and he believes that, as an American, he can achieve a happy life with a perfect nuclear family. In the end, Eva sacrifices her family for travels which never satisfy her, Kevin achieves the fame he wants but realizes it’s not worth imprisonment, and Franklin is so caught up in his idealization that he ignores the dire crisis unfolding in his family. Thus, the novel underscores the danger of pursuing an idealized dream without carefully considering the real-life consequences of such pursuits.