My Name is Lucy Barton

Elizabeth Strout

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2016

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Summary

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapters 1-18

Chapters 19-37

Chapters 38-55

Character Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

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Discussion Questions

Symbols & Motifs

The Chrysler Building

An iconic symbol of New York City, the Chrysler Building lingers in the backdrop of various pivotal scenes throughout the novel. The Chrysler Building represents the aspirational spirit of New York City that draws artists in search of a new life to one of the world’s cultural capitals. This promise of a fresh start lures Lucy away from her traumatic past in the Midwest. As Lucy confronts her past with the arrival of her mother, the Chrysler Building and “its geometric brilliance of lights” (12) serves as a reminder of the new life Lucy seeks as a burgeoning artist. This reminder grounds Lucy as she learns to channel her trauma into her writing. Lucy credits the symbol of the Chrysler Building with allowing her and her mother “to speak in ways we never had” (44). She turns to the symbol as a “beacon” that represents “the largest and best hopes for mankind and its aspirations and desire for beauty” (76). Despite her mother’s ultimate abandonment and rejection of Lucy, the Chrysler building connects them, as exhibited when Lucy’s mother sends her a card with a picture of the building as a reminder of their time in the hospital room.

The Doctor

Described as “a jowly-faced Jewish man who wore such a gentle sadness on his shoulders” (13), Lucy’s doctor represents the kindness and caring that she searches for in her own family. Lucy recognizes the sadness in the doctor and soon learns that the doctor’s family members were victims of the Holocaust who “had been killed in the camps” (13). This connection to trauma strengthens Lucy’s view of the doctor as a loving father figure who offers her comfort in times of great distress, often initiated by her mother’s inability to show her affection. As representations of healing, doctors often focus on physical healing. Lucy’s doctor offers her not only physical healing but also emotional. Unable to rely on her family, Lucy becomes reliant on the doctor’s customary farewell of kissing his fist and holding it toward her. The intimacy of the kiss soothes her. She eagerly awaits his visits and, after being released from the hospital, continues to seek out his advice regarding her health, her parenting, and her relationships. This guidance helps Lucy create a new life for herself in New York and fills in the void left by her parents’ abandonment.

Sarah Payne

A representation of what Lucy strives to be, Sarah Payne is an accomplished writer who meets Lucy in a clothing store and becomes her mentor. Like she does with her doctor, Lucy recognizes “a sadness in her too” (53) that immediately draws her to Sarah. Lucy notices how Sarah introduces herself with “great embarrassment” (54). Intrigued, Lucy seeks out multiple opportunities to listen to and learn from Sarah. Despite Sarah’s multiple accomplishments, Lucy feels a kinship with Sarah. They both have suffered trauma that leads them to overreact when a large cat enters their classroom. However, while Lucy struggles to confront the trauma that has affected her deeply since childhood in her writing, Sarah is self-assured in her writing of her truth. Strout chooses Payne as Sarah’s last name to reference her commitment to confronting unpleasant truth in her writing. As a symbol of truth, Sarah inspires Lucy to process her trauma through her writing. Lucy learns from Sarah and adopts Sarah’s lessons into her writing. She successfully publishes her book with Sarah’s help. It is only through Sarah’s example that Lucy learns to let go of the past.