Theo and Angela confide in each other what they really want to do with their lives.
Theo is “awed by the beautiful Angela,” whom he considers unattainable because she is older and engaged. When he finds himself sitting at the same table with her, he can’t think of what to say. He does not want to seem childish.
Theo tells Angela that he could get a scholarship to college, but he is going to work instead to pay for his brother’s operation. He is a successful track star.
“I went to college for a year. I wanted to be a doctor, but, well, we don’t have as much money as my mother pretends….” Why was she gabbing like this?
“I want to be a writer,” Theo said. That really sounded like kid stuff. “Would you go back to college if you won the inheritance?” (Ch. 13)
When Theo asks Angela if she would go to college if she had the inheritance, she doesn’t want to answer because she does not feel in control of her own life. All of the decisions seem to be made by her fiancé or mother. Angela does not feel that what she wants matters.
Theo and Angela both have in common that they have dreams that no one knows about. Neither feels understood, and they both keep their feelings to themselves. Theo does not consider his dreams valuable because his brother needs an operation, which should take priority in his family's financial picture. Angela does not consider her own dreams and goals valuable because she is a woman. Angela and Theo both feel trapped by their circumstances, and they do not really see an end in sight.
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