Mrs. Pearlman is an Italian woman who spent her childhood visiting the house in the village of B. that she now lives in every summer with Elio and her husband, Mr. Pearlman. Mrs. Pearlman finds Oliver’s mannerisms both unappealing and charming, calling him “Il cauboi” and “la muvi star.” Like Mr. Pearlman, she encourages Elio to live an unreserved life, urging him to make more friends instead of hanging around the house reading all summer. Although Mr. Pearlman upholds that his wife doesn’t suspect anything about Elio and Oliver’s relationship, this seems unlikely, given how obvious the boy is about his heartbreak after Oliver leaves.
Get the entire Call Me By Your Name LitChart as a printable PDF.
Elio’s Mother (Mrs. Pearlman) Character Timeline in Call Me By Your Name
The timeline below shows where the character Elio’s Mother (Mrs. Pearlman) appears in Call Me By Your Name. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Part 1: If Not Later, When?
...each other, as they are both Jewish. Because he and his family are what his mother calls “Jews of discretion,” he’s astounded to see how proudly Oliver displays his Star of...
(full context)
Everybody loves Oliver. Even Elio’s mother, who claims to dislike his gruff “Americanisms,” finds him charming and affectionately calls him “Il...
(full context)
...he knows “almost every bend, every tollbooth, every chamber in the human heart.” Along with Mrs. Pearlman , he urges Elio to go out and “do crazy things” so that he can...
(full context)
Part 4: Ghost Spots
...and Anchise adds, “Anche a me duole, I too am saddened.” When they get home, Mrs. Pearlman is excited to hear about Rome and tells Elio that they’ve moved his things back...
(full context)
...Oliver, several of these lovers Elio can’t imagine living without. Then, nine years later, Elio’s mother calls him over Christmas and says she has a surprise and puts Oliver on the...
(full context)
...for one night on his way through Italy. He arrives with a wrapped gift for Mrs. Pearlman , who Elio says is suspicious of everyone. Elio then takes Oliver on a tour...
(full context)
