Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in My Brilliant Friend, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Female Friendship
Masculine vs. Feminine Violence
Women’s Work
Poverty, Social Climbing, and Sacrifice
The Uses of Community
Love, Sex, and Strategy
Summary
Analysis
Lenù is frustrated: Lila has clearly begun to study Greek on her own before Lenù herself has even gotten to high school. Lenù is upset that Lila will always do the things she herself is supposed to do “before and better.” Lenù tries to go get a copy of a Greek grammar book from the library—but she finds that the Cerullos have it checked out. Lenù goes to Lila and begs Lila to teach her some Greek before the start of school. Lila happily obliges, but Lenù’s sense of inadequacy does not abate even as she learns more and more from her friend.
Once again, Lenù finds herself needing to rely on Lila’s help and guidance in order to prepare for school. Lenù is grateful for Lila but resentful of the idea that even when Lila isn’t in school, the things Lenù is learning (or preparing to learn) in her classes come so naturally to the brilliant Lila.
Themes
Lenù continues to feel inadequate during the dances at the Pelusos’ too. As she watches Lila whirl around the room with Rino, she realizes that Lila has begun to change. She has a new “feminine figure” and a decidedly womanlike energy. Lenù realizes, very suddenly, that every boy in the room is watching rapturously as Lila dances with her brother.
Lenù continues to be hammered by instance after instance in which she is reminded that she and Lila will always be in competition with each other—she is full of envy and awe.
Themes
