Many of the characters in Splendors and Glooms feel particularly love-starved. Clara feels like her parents care more about her dead siblings than their one living daughter, while Parsefall and Lizzie Rose are both without families—they only have each other to rely on. But even in the face of adversity and bleak circumstances, the characters come together to form loving attachments, even going so far as to create families of their own. In the end, Clara decides that Lizzie Rose and Parsefall will be her new siblings, and they're both welcomed into the fold of the Wintermute family with open arms.
Questions About Love
- Do you think that Mrs. Wintermute really loves the dead children more than Clara? Why or why not? Give evidence from the text.
- How does Clara react when she sees her father upset at the sight of her puppet? What does she realize about him?
- Why won't Parsefall let Lizzie Rose call him her brother? Does he really dislike her?
- What sets Grisini apart from all of Cassandra's other past suitors?
Chew on This
Even though Lizzie Rose and Parsefall are both poor orphans, Lizzie Rose sees the world in more optimistic terms because she's known love in her life, whereas Parsefall has always been unloved and is therefore more pessimistic.
Although Clara's parents fuss over her and give her everything she wants, she's not actually sure they love her until she sees her father distressed over her disappearance and realizes that he cares deeply about her.