48 pages • 1 hour read
Casey McQuistonThe Pairing (The Proposition, #3)
Fiction | Novel | YA | Published in 2020A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Themes
Second Chances in Love
The theme of second chances in love guides the romantic comedy’s structure and characterization. The main characters fit the best friends-to-lovers dynamic, which allows them to understand one another better than anyone else. At the same time, they are also exes who need to overcome jealousy and other difficult feelings to restore what has been lost. Their complicated history makes Theo and Kit afraid of jeopardizing their recently restored friendship. Kit’s thoughts after the kiss in Monaco illustrate how this fear proves to be the main obstacle to their second chance in love: “It took time to understand how I’d made Theo so angry she could leave me back then, but this time it’s simple. I’m supposed to be her friend, and I kissed her” (208). McQuiston builds suspense by gradually revealing the details that led to the breakup and by describing how the main characters dance around one another while trying to conceal their feelings, unaware that their love is requited. The theme of second chances in love adds tension to the plot and complexity to the main characters’ dynamic.
Theo and Kit’s growth turns their breakup from a tragic misunderstanding to a necessary part of their evolution as individuals and as a couple. In Chapter 21, Theo argues that their relationship is worth the risk because they’ve both matured over the past four years: “I’ve grown into someone who’s better for you. And you’ve become someone who’s better for me” (398). This offers an encouraging reminder that painful experiences can lead to positive change. One example of this progress is Theo’s realization that she is nonbinary. Kit posits that Theo may never have made this discovery if they stayed together because “safety and familiarity [would] keep them smaller” (257), barring Theo and Kit from ever knowing her fullest, most authentic sense. Ultimately, Theo and Kit’s love is stronger than it would be if they’d never parted. The restaurant that they open together at the end of the novel is a testament to their growth and the way they seize their second chance at love. For years, they dreamed of having “a small bistro with a simple, seasonal menu and new cocktails every week” (96), and the end result of Field Day is more mature and sophisticated than their original concept of Fairflower. They’re capable of achieving more together because of the skills and knowledge they gained during their separation, such as Kit’s pastry school degree and Theo’s training as an aspiring sommelier. In addition, Kit learns to actively include Theo in his plans rather than repeating the mistake that led to the breakup, and Theo learns that she’s capable of more than she realized. Theo and Kit’s love story illustrates the power and possibility of second chances.
The Pursuit of Pleasure
Through Theo and Kit’s story, McQuiston argues that pleasure is a meaningful part of life. The main characters, who describe themselves as hedonists, see the pursuit of pleasure as “the human condition” (309): For millennia, people have “wanted to be loved, and eat good food, and make art, and fuck” (309). This excerpt describes different ways that satisfying one’s sensory cravings can add joy and richness to life. Likewise, Theo and Kit’s culinary exploits add to the novel’s interest and utilize the scenic settings of some of Europe’s most decadent destinations. McQuiston uses visual, olfactory, and gustatory imagery to develop the theme of the pursuit of pleasure, as seen in the care with which they describe Parisian pâtisserie Hugo & Victor: “Glass cases hold pavlova clouds topped with split figs, bubbles of sunshine-yellow yuzu cheesecake, and precise triangles of tarts—grapefruit, lime, apple and caramel, tonka bean, passionfruit” (34). Just as the bakers craft pastries to please their customers’ palates, the author uses vivid details to give readers an immersive, enjoyable experience. The author posits that “[s]ometimes simple pleasures are defiant on their own,” especially for LGBTQ+ individuals’ whose stories are often reduced to the struggles and discrimination they face (“The 2023 Out100 Storytellers: Casey McQuistion.” Out, 2023). Theo and Kit’s hedonistic adventures celebrate the pursuit of pleasure as an enriching and even empowering experience.
At the same time, Theo and Kit must learn not to let pleasure distract them from pursuing things that bring them deeper fulfillment. While the hookup competition offers an exciting and enjoyable diversion from confronting their feelings for one another, Theo and Kit eventually call it off: “‘It’s stupid,’ Theo concludes. ‘And it’s immature. We’re adults’” (348). Theo and Kit’s ability to forgo physical pleasures and confront difficult emotions demonstrates their growth over the course of the novel. In the story’s resolution, the couple’s new restaurant represents a continued pursuit of pleasure. This time, their objective is to turn their own pleasurable experiences into memorable meals for their customers: “Every pairing is designed to tell a story, so when you order, you’re ordering a full experience” (401). Field Day’s menu is inspired by the tour, allowing Theo and Kit to use their culinary skills to bring others along on their adventurous pursuit of pleasure. McQuiston encourages their readers to indulge themselves but not to use pleasure as an excuse to run away from problems that need to be addressed or goals that offer deeper fulfillment.
The Journey Toward Self-Acceptance
Theo’s journey toward self-acceptance transforms her view of herself, her relationship with Kit, and her life as a whole. She takes an important step on this journey by understanding her gender identity. She describes the realization that she is nonbinary as something she “wasn’t ready to know about [her]self until a few years ago” (101), which highlights that self-acceptance is a gradual, nonlinear process. Theo’s enhanced understanding of her inner self changes her attitude toward her physical appearance: “I stopped trying to make all the disparate features of my face work together the way I thought they were supposed to and started appreciating each individual piece” (18). Coming to terms with her nonbinary identity empowers Theo to let go of arbitrary standards of feminine beauty and to embrace what makes her unique. On her journey toward self-acceptance, Theo gains a more authentic and loving relationship with herself.
Theo’s growing self-knowledge also improves her relationship with Kit. Their fight four years ago exacerbates her deeply rooted insecurities, and her low self-esteem makes it believable to her that Kit would abandon her at the airport: “It’s all so easy for him. Leaving me for a shiny new life [...] Even when we were together, I could see the vines of potential spiraling out of him, reaching for taller trellises in bigger fields” (120). Theo demeans herself as baggage that Kit discards in pursuit of bigger and better opportunities. As a result, she doesn’t try to contact him, which would have revealed that the breakup was a misunderstanding. During their unexpected reunion on the tour, Theo eventually casts off this sense of inferiority so that she can move past her jealousy toward Kit and reestablish their bond. Additionally, Kit is impressed by the confidence Theo has built since he last saw her. As the scene in the baptistery at Pisa demonstrates, Kit loves this new “Theo who fills her own body” even more because she is more fully herself (230): “What a wonder, what a miracle: somehow, more of her” (230). When Theo fights back against the negative self-perception that lessens her, her relationship with Kit grows into genuine friendship and love.
One of the greatest challenges that Theo faces on her journey toward self-acceptance is confronting her aversion to risk. Her home in the Coachella Valley gives her a comforting sense of predictability because she “already know[s] all the ways [she] can fail there” (10), but this mindset allows her to stagnate in self-doubt. Embarking on the culinary tour is a daring act that forces her out of her comfort zone and transforms her understanding of her potential: “[O]ne thing I’ve learned is that I never really know what I’m capable of until I’m doing it, and the only way to find out is to march on” (405). This life-changing experience gives Theo the courage she needs to let go of her previous failures, such as her attempts at the sommelier exam, and to pursue her passions. Although Field Day is not guaranteed to succeed, Theo has learned that she deserves her own trust and that some things are worth the risk of failure. The journey toward self-acceptance empowers Theo to discover who she truly is and to build a fulfilling life and authentic relationships.
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