Part Two and Part Three Discussion Questions

[Simone]

Part two feels like it's all about the relationships built by the characters we now know and come to like. The particular relationships I'm thinking about are:

Casey and Unu
Ella and Ted
Casey and Sabine
Leah and Charles

What are your thoughts on the pairings described in this part?
What are your thoughts on Sabine and Casey's relationship?

In Part Three, we see the characters kind of live with the choices they've made in Part 2. Here's some scenarios that I'm thinking of (spoiler warning):

Unu's gambling becomes a more serious issue.
Casey has sex with Hugh.
Leah is raped and pregnant with Charles.
Ella struggles to fight Ted for custody of her child while Ted's whole family and love interest tries to dissuade him from taking custody.

What do you think about these decisions and actions of the characters coming to a head?

Also, what would you do if you were to choose between making money for money's sake or creating something you're passionate about like Casey and her hats?

Anyone else thought it was strange that she didn't pursue this as much? What are your thoughts on her decision to go to Business School and not complete her schooling at FIT?

Let's chat!

[Miriam]

I really liked Casey and Unu together. I thought they were good for one another, but I don't like how they didn't challenge each other to be better. I always thought it was odd how Casey seemed so chill about Unu's gambling. But this was probably due to her debts, and not wanting to be judged on her choices.

Ted is such a jerk. I really didn't like his character to begin with, and then my dislike grew as we see what he does to Ella and their marriage. I realize the fault is never in one person, and that his cheating was a symptom on the fact that he and Ella never should've married in the first place.

I would love to say that if I had to chose between making money for money's sake and doing something I'm passionate about, I'd chose passion. But I also know what poverty is, and needing to work to survive. I think Casey knows the need to survive as well, and part of why she didn't pursue hat making may have been because she knew she would need to rely on Sabine to help fund it. She wanted to make it on her own, without Sabine's help.

[Simone]

Miriam wrote: "I really liked Casey and Unu together. I thought they were good for one another, but I don't like how they didn't challenge each other to be better. I always thought it was odd how Casey seemed so ..."

Thanks so much for commenting, Miriam!

I wasn't the biggest fan of Casey and Unu's relationship because of their inability to challenge each other. I was so surprised to see Casey be nonchalant about Unu's gambling especially since she doesn't have any money. I would think she'd be upset to see good money go to waste on him. However, I didn't agree with her sleeping with Hugh.

I totally agree with you about Ted and Ella. Ella was obviously in love with her coworker at the school and Ted is an idiot. I would have dumped his ass after finding out that he gave me herpes. Even if it came from someone else or from sitting on the bus, I don't care. He put the life of his unborn kid in jeopardy and Ella has to live with herpes for the rest of her life.

But then the whole battle to get the kid. OMG. Every single person in Ted's life was like "don't take the kid," and he goes after her anyway! I don't get it. He's already done enough damage to Ella and her emotions, so I don't get why he's now going after her kid. I don't even think he wants her. He just wants to win, which is a shitty thing to do as a parent.