Freedom

“There had always been something not quite right about the Berglunds.” 

Franzen begins the novel by showing the best side of the Berglund family. He quickly introduces doubt about their neighborhood facade of happiness in this quote. The Berglunds will spend much of the story wondering what is wrong with them and ignoring their blind spots. From the outside, they appear to be a perfect family. Patty, in particular, is adored by most of her neighbors. However, their idyllic appearance belies the insecurities and darkness that lead to the major events of the novel.

“Didn’t her dad tease her and ridicule her in ways that would have been simply cruel if he didn’t secretly love her more than anything? But she was seventeen now and not actually dumb. She knew that you could love somebody more than anything and still not love that person all that much, if you were busy with other things.”

After Ethan rapes Patty, her mother tells her that her father will want what is best for her. As Patty remember the endless instances of her father’s cruelties, she believes that he loves her, even though she cannot remember him showing it. His actions show that he prioritizes his reputation and business more than anything. Similar to her father, she will later find reasons to put her own desires and appetites before the good of the people she loves.

“Patty knew, in her heart, that he was wrong in his impression of her. And the mistake she went on to make, the really big life mistake, was to go along with Walter's version of her in spite of knowing that it wasn't right. He seemed so certain of her goodness that eventually he wore her down.”

Walter puts Patty on a pedestal to such an extent that she keeps hoping that he will be right about her. However, she never completely trusts his instincts about her goodness. She knows that she will fail him eventually but uses his trust to aspire to more.