Love, Theoretically

Elsie’s greatest difficulties in the climactic sections of the novel come when the two men she trusts most hurt her in ways she never could have imagined. Though Jack has continually accused Elsie of lying about things, even when she does so not to hurt or lose those around her, Jack does the same by keeping the secret about Laurendeau’s relationship with Grethe from her. His lack of consideration for her feelings in this situation mirrors how Jack fails to acknowledge the aftershocks of his divisive article. Laurendeau’s silence is more malicious than Jack’s, as Elsie learns that he has purposefully kept information about job prospects from her when she was overworking herself to make ends meet. He calls Elsie and Grethe “silly, stubborn girls” (315), further highlighting how little respect he has for them and how he believes his word is far more important than theirs. Jack and Laurendeau treat Elsie the same way, as both hide things from her that they don’t think she would be able to handle, infantilizing her and denying her the chance to make any decisions of her own. Ironically, Jack tries to encourage her to make her own decisions throughout the novel, illustrating his potential for growth. In comparison, Laurendeau tries to prevent Elsie’s individual agency, demonstrating his outdated and selfish viewpoint. Overall, the actions of these men continue to highlight the disadvantaged position of women in academia and how The Unnecessary Politicization of Academia damages the professionals within it. Finally, Jack and Laurendeau’s actions emphasize how important it is for Elsie to be able to choose for herself.

The timing of love and relationships is a minor recurring theme in Love, Theoretically, which becomes especially poignant toward the end of the novel. As their intimacy increases, Jack tells Elsie that she should lead the pace in their relationship, as he still thinks everything is moving too quickly but does not know how to slow down. Jack can see a future with Elsie in it, as is made clear when he tells Andrea, “She can be my damn wife if she wants to be” (302), and when he tells Elsie in the final chapter, “I need you to keep us in check. I need you to pace us, because wherever it is that we’re going…I’m here. I’m already right here” (336). Though Elsie tells Jack she is “almost there” (337), meaning she is almost ready to commit her future to being with Jack, it is also significant that she is not entirely as ready as he is. In the genre of contemporary romance, it is common that both main characters fall equally in love with one another. Yet at the end of the novel, Elsie is still learning to make decisions on her own, so it is significant that she does not entirely agree with Jack but takes her own feelings into consideration and reinforces the theme of Romantic Love as a Path to Self-Worth. Jack lets Elsie decide for herself what she wants out of their relationship, and eight months later, in the epilogue, Elsie finally tells Jack, “I’m right here. With you” (343).

Self-growth and forgiveness is especially significant to the characters toward the end of the novel, particularly regarding Elsie’s ability to forgive Jack’s lies and vice versa. She forgives Jack for keeping secrets from her because she finally understands that Jack is complicated and capable of growth, as is evidenced by his second article. Though he has tried to suggest that he only performs one version of himself, Elsie finally sees the different versions of Jack throughout his life, from the vengeful and thoughtless teenager who wrote the first article to the empathetic and considerate man who published the second. The capacity for characters to change and grow is also illustrated by Elsie and Cece’s reintroduction to each other at the end of Chapter 25 once Elsie finally tells her roommate all the things that she has been hiding from Cece to keep her friendship. Elsie’s ability to change is demonstrated by the fact that she finally begins standing up for herself and making her own decisions toward the end of the novel. Not only does she stand up to Laurendeau, but she also reports him to the university to prevent him from taking advantage of others as he has done with her. When she apologizes to Jack in Chapter 26, she still maintains that she loathes him, as she did at the beginning of the novel, despite her feelings becoming much more complex since then. The fact that she comes to her own decisions about George’s job offer and her future with Jack also reveals just how much Elsie has started to put her own needs first, rather than the wants of others, and emphasizes how much her sense of self-worth has grown since the beginning of the novel.