The Sweetest Oblivion

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes depictions of sexual content, cursing, graphic violence, sexual violence, emotional abuse, misogyny, sexism, and imbalanced power dynamics in intimate relationships.

“I hadn’t heard that nickname in a while. I’d grown out of the name some, especially when I realized I was the girl adored for all the wrong reasons: I wasn’t hard to look at, I was quiet when I should be and polite when I wasn’t. Like a childhood dress that didn’t fit anymore, I was stuck in the world’s expectations for me.”

Elena Abelli’s reflections on her Sweet Abelli nickname introduce her Quest for Autonomy and Self-Possession. When Elena is inhabiting her Sweet Abelli nickname, she is as “quiet” and “polite” as everyone expects her to be. However, this persona has begun to limit Elena’s sense of self. She compares her internal conflict to wearing “a childhood dress” that no longer fits her. This metaphor evokes notions of entrapment and limitation. She has outgrown the Sweet Abelli and needs to take steps to discover her true adult self.

“The words were deep and soft, and a strange part of me felt like I’d done something good. My breaths turned shallow when he moved to walk past me but stopped by my side. His arm touched mine and it burned like the lightest licks of a flame. His voice brushed the side of my neck.”

Elena experiences a physiological response to being in Nicolas (Nico) Russo’s presence, which incites their passionate dynamic. She uses diction including “deep,” “soft,” “strange,” “shallow,” “burned,” and “brushed” to convey the intensity of her burgeoning feelings for Nico. These linguistic choices capture the characters’ innate attraction to each other and introduce the novel’s theme of Passion and Desire in Forbidden Romances. Furthermore the flame metaphor evokes notions of danger, which foreshadows the complicated aspects of their developing dynamic.