The Immortalists

“In 1969, though, they are still a unit, yoked as if it isn’t possible to be anything but.” 

The Gold children enjoy a deep closeness before they visit Bruna. However, this one visit is the impetus for the children to drift apart into adulthood. The novel suggests that the visit to Bruna may have exacerbated characteristics that already existed in the characters, putting their closeness to the test. 

“Varya feels a pang of guilt. In Hebrew school, she heard the case against idols, listening solemnly as Rabbi Chaim read from the tractate Avodah Zarah.” 

The novel contains both religious and magical rituals. In some cases, the secular rituals come up against the religious rituals. However, by the end, the novel makes the case that all of these rituals are similar—they keep the characters moving forward, able to derive order from or impose order on the world. 

“Ma wants me to go to college, but she got that with Danny and V. She has to understand that I’m not her. And you aren’t Dad.” 

In this scene, Klara convinces Simon to go with her to San Francisco. As a means to make her case, she tries to make Simon see how different they are from their parents and other siblings. It is important for her to make a break from her past and her tradition, and this connects to Simon’s own desires. This journey helps them self-actualize.