"I could not forget the white, lost look in Maxim's eyes when we came up the path through the woods, and I could not forget his words, "Oh, god, what a fool I was to come back." [...] And although Maxim had recovered, and was himself again, and we lived our lives together, sleeping, eating, walking, writing letters, driving to the village, working hour by hour through our day, I knew there was a barrier between us because of it" (120).
Setting: Maxim previously opened up to the narrator about not wanting to go to the other beach because of all of his bad memories of Rebecca there. He is portrayed as fragile in this context, mentioning how they should have stayed in Italy longer.
Assertion: Maxim and the narrator have a complicated relationship, and as a result, they are unable to appropriately and effectively communicate with each other.
I love the quote you're looking at, Jack. When unpacking, look closely at the words, specifically those that lend credence to your hypothesis. In this quote, look at the words, "Lost" and "white" and "fool." Think about other moments we've looked at when a person has been described (or self-described) with similar or even exactly the same words. Then ask what makes that "barrier"? Why wasn't the barrier there before that moment on the beach? Be careful not to assume standards by which something (like a relationship) works: words like "appropriately" and "effectively" tell us that there is a "normal" way to be. Instead, tell us how they DO function and what happens as a result.
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