The Spectacular

As the father of Marion and Judy, Simon’s main character flaw can be found in his constant attempts to control everyone and everything around him, especially his daughters. Marion knows that “his rough side emerge[s] whenever he [feels] crossed. Or blindsided” (13). Marion and Judy lack the freedom to pursue their ambitions because of Simon, and Marion soon learns that Simon was just as controlling with Lucille, his late wife. Now, threatened by his daughter’s sense of independence, Simon resorts to belittling and manipulating her to assert power over her. However, the narrative makes it clear that his desire to control his daughters stems from his deep-rooted fear that they will be unsafe and unprovided for on their own, much like he experienced during his difficult, Depression-era upbringing. This fear grows after Simon receives his Parkinson’s diagnosis, for he knows that he has limited time to provide for his daughters.

Simon’s authoritarian demeanor backfires, and he loses control of all parts of his life by the novel’s conclusion. Marion realizes that in addition to controlling his daughters’ paths, Simon has lied and covered up his own inappropriate behavior to maintain his public image. Ultimately, Simon loses the respect of those closest to him when his failure to turn in George Martinek’s personnel file is discovered. As a result, he loses his job and his health insurance, which he needs more than ever as his symptoms from Parkinson’s progress. In the end, Simon loses control of Marion’s career choices, instead relying on her earnings as a choreographer to provide for his medical care.

In contrast to Marion, Judy lives to please her father while obeying his rules. She ignores her desire to have a family of her own and instead devotes herself to caring for Simon professionally and at home, as her mother would have been expected to do if she were still alive. The younger Marion feels like an outsider around Judy and Simon, for the narrative states, “Their father doted on Judy, whose affinity for order and logic matched his own, while their mother, Lucille, demonstrated a flair for glamour that aligned more with Marion’s nature” (15). Simon praises and rewards Judy for her service, bestowing her with a greater degree of respect than Marion for living by his rules. Like Simon, Judy’s actions are motivated by fear. Feeling as though she has grown up in Marion’s shadow as the less attractive sister, Judy hesitates to date, believing that her looks make her unworthy of love. Marion only realizes how profoundly Judy holds herself back shortly before Judy’s death.

Judy’s death illustrates The Supportive Role of Sisterhood, for Marion loses her connection with her sister just as the women grow closer and resolve their differences. As much as Marion hopes to encourage Judy to pursue her dreams, she also relies on her sister as a tie to her life in Bronxville. The sisters empathize with each other regarding the loss of their mother, and Marion feels bereft upon losing the one person who understands her grief about Lucille’s death. While the Rockettes and other performers at the Rehearsal Club provide a supportive sisterhood for Marion, they fail to understand Marion as Judy could.

Serving as a foil for Nathaniel, Peter openly admires Marion’s ambition to work in the performing arts and to chase down the Big Apple Bomber. He never tries to control or manipulate her, instead encouraging her to grow into the best possible version of herself. Marion trusts Peter’s judgment and recognizes that he is “smarter than pretty much anyone else in whatever room he [is] in” (204) even though he never feels the need to parade his intellectual skills. Marion is attracted to all of Peter’s qualities, which Simon and Nathaniel pointedly lack. As a psychiatrist, Peter is incredibly selfless and adept at reading people and understanding their motivations. He demonstrates tremendous care and concern for others, especially Marion. Although the two fall deeply in love, they only allow their romance to continue in their retirement years, when they know that their lives will not interfere with each other’s professional ambitions.

Peter also highlights the necessity of civic responsibility as he attempts to help those who have been forced into institutionalization. Peter explains his dislike for the common practice of overmedicating patients, for he asserts, “There is something to be learned from every patient. The entire field of psychiatry will come to a halt if we simply overmedicate the troubled” (166). Recognizing the harmful effects of asserting control over patients by drugging them into submission, Peter attempts to improve the quality of life of his own patients, treating them with respect and humanity. He also volunteers his services at the Salvation Army, where people live in sheltered accommodations. Thus, he pursues his attempts to help those with mental health conditions and substance misuse disorders, dedicating his life to public service and civic responsibility while sacrificing his personal desires to protect Marion.

Like Simon, Nathaniel prioritizes his future and expects Marion to make extreme sacrifices to fulfill his wishes. When Marion shares the news of her position with the Rockettes, Nathaniel responds, “I’m finally back in Bronxville for good, and you go and get yourself a job where I’ll never see you. What’s going on here?” (75). This callous exchange reveals that although Nathaniel expects Marion to wait faithfully for him while he pursues his own ambitions, he is unwilling to reciprocate this devotion for Marion. Instead, he believes that Marion should gratefully surrender the critical parts of her identity to fulfill the traditional roles of wife and mother. Nathaniel therefore represents the outdated value system typical of 1950s America, which emphasized the ultimate social virtue of forming nuclear families. His expectations, while unreasonable, stem from the cultural norms of the time period.

Nathaniel’s treatment of Marion marks him as a foil to Peter. Self-interested and egotistical, Nathaniel makes himself the center of attention even in the midst of Marion’s own crises, compelling her to set her own emotions aside in order to console him in her own time of need. As a result, Marion learns to call on Peter rather than Nathaniel when she is emotionally distressed, for she knows that Peter will provide more helpful support. Knowing that Nathaniel places his needs above those of others, Marion distrusts his advice as much as she values and respects Peter’s opinions. Even the way that Nathaniel kisses represents his self-centered demeanor, for as the narrative states, “Nathaniel’s approach was still that of a teenaged boy—even if he was twenty-one—eager and slightly clumsy, with a focus on his own pleasure. Peter’s energy radiated out, toward Marion” (214). Marion eventually realizes that she and Nathaniel could never make each other happy or satisfy each other’s needs, and she ends her relationship with him.