One Day

While Part 1 saw Dexter poised for success while Emma was lost and adrift, Part 2 demonstrates reversed roles. There is, in fact, a newfound order in Emma’s life as she embarks on her teaching career, embraces a healthy lifestyle, and creates a harmonious living environment, as depicted in Chapter 6. For the first time, she owns nice furniture and has a renewed sense of pride. This marks a notable change for Emma, who expresses disbelief at this new way of living. She also manages to find time for writing and seeing friends, and her character, she reflects, has relaxed. This transformation symbolizes her newfound maturity, underscoring the theme of Personal Growth and Self-Discovery—after years of challenges, Emma is finally on the right path after undergoing significant evolution. The repetition of the phrase “Emma Morley eats well and drinks only in moderation” in both Chapters 6 and 8 highlights the consistency and stability of these positive changes in her life, especially when contrasted with the repetition of her restaurant job in Part 1 (90, 121). Moreover, Emma’s rise during Dexter’s fall speaks to the yin-yang of their relationship, foreshadowing an inevitable union that will provide balance.

Dexter's current lifestyle sharply contrasts with Emma’s. He’s now immersed in a world of drugs, casual encounters, clubbing, and seeking solace in the company of strangers to escape his loneliness. Even during work hours, he misuses alcohol, suggesting that he is very unhappy and deeply concerned with what others think of his television persona. These choices adversely affect his relationships—his mother expresses concern about his changed behavior, his father reproaches him for showing up inebriated and tells him that he is “a grown man now, […] not a child” (106), and his connection with Emma withers. Dexter’s substance use disorder also impacts his professional life—his drunken premiere of his TV show, Late-Night Lock-In, is deemed a disaster, a far cry from his previous reputation as a natural TV presenter. His self-righteousness stops him from understanding why people might not like him—he wonders, “why can’t people be pleased that he’s doing so well, grateful for his generosity?” (123). However, behind his behavior lies a deep sense of sorrow stemming from his mother's illness and eventual death, as well as profound loneliness. He misses Emma and is jealous of Ian, but he is unable to articulate these emotions clearly. Dexter's journey of Personal Growth and Self-Discovery takes a downturn in Part 2, challenging the notion that progress is a linear trajectory. This idea is furthered by Emma’s stability, as she also underwent a dark period and still holds fears about her talent and her relationship with Ian.

In Part 2, the theme of The Evolution and Complexities of Relationships Over Time takes center stage. Emma and Dexter’s relationship is portrayed as holding the promise of a great love story, marked by mutual liking and undeniable chemistry. Though he is not a comedian, Dexter makes Emma laugh more than Ian, as Nicholls writes that, “with Dexter [Emma] laughed all the time, hysterically, sometimes, frankly, until she peed a little. On holiday in Greece, they had laughed for ten days straight” (114). However, contrary to conventional romance novels, their relationship faces challenges and deteriorates over time because the two are so different, leading opposing lifestyles. Chapter 8, “Showbusiness,” exemplifies these contrasts—while Emma leads a school play, Dexter makes an inebriated debut on live television, highlighting that Dexter is performing happiness while Emma is trying to help others, which gives her happiness. Chapter 9 further highlights the growing incompatibility in their lifestyles. During a dinner outing, Emma feels increasingly out of place, eventually deciding to leave. Dexter, on the other hand, starts to resent her and her “air of self-righteousness, of the community centre, the theatre co-op, of 1988” (154). He perceives Emma’s disapproval of his luxurious lifestyle as an offense, which also suggests that he feels ashamed of himself and thus projects onto her. At this point in the novel, the love they share is portrayed as insufficient in overcoming their differences. The recurring theme of The Influence of Timing and Chance in Life also plays a crucial role, as, in Chapter 6, Emma is already on her way to her second date with Ian when Dexter leaves a message for her. Nicholls deliberately favors realism over a classic love story, portraying the complexities and nuances of relationships and the significant impact that timing can have on life’s course, particularly in matters of love.

The theme of The Evolution and Complexities of Relationships Over Time also captures aspects of Emma’s relationship with Ian. Introduced in Part 1 as her friend from her restaurant job, Emma doesn’t immediately fall in love with Ian or even feel attracted to him. On their date in Chapter 7, she finds herself annoyed by his attempts at humor, and their interactions lack the laughter and chemistry she shares with Dexter. Still, Emma settles into a relationship with him, eventually reaching the point of buying an apartment together. Once again, Nicholls presents a realistic scenario, where Emma chooses to embrace a convenient, stable relationship rather than actively pursuing true love. While Part 2 ends with Dexter begging Emma to maintain their friendship, the simmering tension beneath their connection continues to foreshadow the inevitability of their later romance.