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Memory and The Past
In The Interestings, the characters (especially Jules) spend so much time idealizing the past and reexamining memories that they can't recognize the truth anymore. Memory and the past are like snares in this book, holding characters hostage in the present and presenting big blind spots when it comes to personal understanding. The characters that feel happiest are the ones that don't dwell on the past but try to push through it when it gets all up in the present (like Dennis and Cathy). The rest, though, carry a pretty heavy burden with them.
Goodman is a symbol for the impossibility of moving forward without addressing the past.
Cathy is the only person who truly makes it in the end because she's the only person who resolves the past and leaves it there.
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