The Perfect Couple

As the narration of the rehearsal dinner shows, one of the striking aspects of the author’s narrative style is rich description. Hilderbrand describes the food, clothes, and scenery in the novel in specific and sensory-rich detail. In addition to making the world real for the readers, this attention to detail also shows how important objects and appearances are in the world the novel’s characters inhabit. The emphasis on this aspect builds on the theme of The Dichotomy Between Public and Private Personas, portraying these symbols of status and luxury as props in a constant, exhausting, high-stakes act. Greer notes, for instance, that since the dinner is a sophisticated take on the Island Fare clambake, a New England tradition of celebrating seafood, “there are three kinds of melted butter for the lobster […] along the standard linguica are house-made lamb sausages […] In the center of every table is a pinwheel of Bartlett’s Farm hothouse tomatoes drizzled with […] blue cheese dressing” (92). The excess simultaneously projects Greer’s wealth, with her use of designer food serving as a status symbol, and Greer’s care for Karen. Greer has made sure Karen gets an endless supply of expensive lobster, which is a luxury Karen has not been able to afford for many years. Greer’s concern for Karen is also a telling example of the way Hilderbrand builds her characters. None of the characters in the novel are purely good or evil; rather, most inhabit the grey area of real, complex human behavior. Thus, while Greer is a snob who is quick to judge others, she also takes care of those she considers her own.

The descriptions of luxury items, objects, and experiences also tie in with the theme of The Privilege and Limitations of Wealth and Status. A relevant pattern to this theme that emerges in this section is that of red herrings. In Chapter 12, Greer, a novelist who writes murder mysteries, tells Nick that the cut on Merritt’s foot is a “red herring” (140), or a diversion from the truth. Novelists and filmmakers often use red herrings in mysteries to hide the identity of the real killer. The cut on Merritt’s foot is just an empty dramatic detail, according to Greer, and has nothing to do with her death. Hilderbrand’s novel similarly plays with the concept of false leads and red herrings throughout its narrative, illustrating the fact that the whole truth of a situation may never be known. For instance, it turns out that the cut on Merritt’s foot is both a red herring and not; the cut did have something to do with Merritt’s death, but not in the sense Nick assumed.

Mysteries and secrets pile up in this section, adding to the suspense around Merritt’s death as well as the motivations of characters. Hildebrand’s narrative structure is key in producing this effect. Certain actions remain mysterious and evoke reader suspicion until the flashbacks explain the character’s motivations. Shooter fleeing his interrogation and his odd story about the bartender Gina are both examples of this effect. Another example is Karen’s secretiveness about the anesthetic pills. Although Karen dotes on her family, she keeps a huge secret from them. She not only keeps to herself her thoughts about ending her life but also secretly stores anesthetic pills she has bought off illegal channels. These details persistently remind the reader that each character has a private life they do not readily share, not even with those they love. This building sense of hidden layers ties the theme of The Dichotomy Between Public and Private Personas into the notion that every family is flawed, highlighting the theme of The Illusion of the Perfect Family. Karen keeping a secret from Bruce and Celeste, for example, foreshadows that Bruce and Celeste also have their own secrets. The theme of The Illusion of the Perfect Family is further highlighted by an examination of the titular perfect couple: Benji and Celeste.

While Benji is sweet and thoughtful despite his entitlement, from the very beginning, Celeste is discomfited by the difference between their social and financial status. As much as Celeste has stayed away from the world of status and appearances, she wants to make a good impression on Benji, which she attempts to do by dressing in luxury clothes and shoes borrowed from Merritt. The narrative specifically names the brands Celeste wears—Herve Leger and Jimmy Choo. The brands symbolize luxury and carry an aspirational value. By owning such symbols of status, characters can feel they belong among the elite and are upwardly mobile; again, status symbols are one of the text’s key motifs. While Benji’s courtship of Celeste opens up a new world for her, it also foreshadows a moral dilemma for Celeste. Through Benji, Celeste can have access to a highly tempting world: “There are dinners at SoHo, the Village, and the Meatpacking District […] there is brunch at Saxon and Parole, where Benji introduces Celeste to the phenomenon of the Bloody Mary bar” (112). The more Celeste experiences this world, the more she wants to be a part of it. At the same time, the more she feels ashamed of her own world. When she sees the diagonal bookshelves in Benji’s apartment, “all she wants […] are diagonal bookshelves, and books to put in them” (114), but that desire comes with “a sudden hot shame about the futon she uses as a bed” (115). Celeste’s feelings about Benji and his world are complicated, but she goes along with the relationship because she is tempted by what Benji offers and represents. Thus, from the onset, the perfect couple she and Benji represent does not exist.

The theme of the imperfect couple is also reflected in the pairings of Tag and Merritt, Tag and Greer, and Abby and Thomas. While Tag’s pursuit of Merritt is narrated as an intoxicating rush, with Tag jealous of Merritt dating Robby, the affair ends abruptly and coldly. Merritt is stunned by the sudden change in Tag’s feelings, which had originally seemed so genuine to her. In turn, even as Tag tells himself he has done the right thing for his family by ceasing the affair, his choice to keep his betrayal a secret serves him best of all. The fact that Thomas is in the Four Seasons Hotel at the same time as his father foreshadows that Thomas may be present there for similar reasons as Tag. In this context of betrayal, an important textual symbol that this section highlights is Merritt’s ring. To Merritt, the ring symbolizes her bond with Tag; to Tag, the ring is merely a gift. For Greer, the ring becomes a symbol of Tag’s infidelity. The ring also ties into the narrative’s pattern of red herrings. Greer believes the ring will be worn by Featherleigh, whom she suspects is Tag’s girlfriend. However, Greer’s focus on Featherleigh makes her miss the obvious, even when she glimpses the ring on Merritt’s thumb.

Though Greer prides herself on being an expert of human nature and happenstance, she is often presumptuous, as in the case of assuming Featherleigh is attracted to Tag. Greer’s presumptuousness can sometimes run toward prejudice. When she sees Nick, who is Black, she is shocked his moniker is “the Greek.” The text implies that, in Greer’s mind, “Greek” is linked with whiteness. Greer’s limited understanding of the world’s complexity is reflected in her treatment of the Greek island of Santorini in the novel she is writing. Tellingly, her publisher feels the setting is thinly rendered, perhaps because Greer’s preconceived notions about Santorini do not live up to its reality. Greer’s troubling attitudes toward race and class difference crop up often in the novel. Greer’s career as a famous, prolific writer can also be seen as a tongue-in-cheek, self-referential inclusion by author Elin Hilderbrand. Like Hilderbrand, Greer is a popular genre writer who lives on Nantucket. However, unlike Hilderbrand, who sets her novels largely in familiar locations, Greer’s adventures often take place in settings she perceives as exotic. Through Greer’s character, Hilderbrand both sympathizes with and parodies the plight of the writer.