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Chapter 29
Themes
and Colors
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Midnight Library, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Regret, Depression, and Suicide
Philosophy and the Meaning of Life
Possibility and Perseverance
Embracing Imperfection
Summary
Analysis
The group arrives at a magnificent hotel that used to be a palace, and Nora encounters a group of her fans waiting for her outside the front doors. She feels overwhelmed when a man she’s never met tells her that her song “Beautiful Sky” saved his life. Inside the hotel, Nora sees the rest of the band already at the bar, but she still can’t find her brother. Marcelo, the host of the podcast, greets Nora; he and Joanna arrange for the interview to take place in Nora’s room. As they wait for the elevator, Joanna asks Nora if she’s alright, noticing her strange behavior. Nora insists that she’s fine as she’s brought up to her massive, lavish suite with Joanna, Marcelo, and the rest of the podcast crew.
In contrast to the shallower reasons to enjoy this life—such as fame and popularity—touching people’s lives through her music makes Nora feel as though this version of herself has a truly meaningful existence. She had always felt a connection to music even before she stepped into this life, so hearing a fan tell her that her song saved his life touches her on a deep level, making her much more willing to believe that she matters to the people around her and shouldn’t give up on making music.
Active
Themes
The podcast begins, and Nora tries to pretend she knows about the songs that this version of herself wrote, wondering if there’s any way she could escape from this interview. Marcelo says that Nora’s had a very difficult year, mentioning that Dan, her former boyfriend, had been stalking her to the point where she had to issue a restraining order. This isn’t supposed to be news to her, so she tries not to seem too surprised as the podcast continues. Marcelo brings up all sorts of drama that’s plagued Nora this year, asking her why she thinks the press has such a hatred for her. She feels overwhelmed, wondering if fame is always a dizzying mixture of love and hatred.
Hearing about Dan’s stalking reinforces the idea that Nora’s regrets about not marrying him were deeply misplaced, but she begins to regret entering this life when she hears about all the drama and hatred being thrown her way. The vague allusions to a difficult year are concerning, but Nora still tries to focus on all the positive possibilities of a life that’s this outwardly successful.
Active
Themes
Marcelo asks if Nora ever wonders what her life would have been like if she had chosen a different path. Nora tells him that there are plenty of other paths she could have taken, but that there are no easy paths—no lives without pain. She explains that sadness is an essential part of happiness, and that everything would have been easier if she hadn’t expected a perfect life. Soon afterwards, Marcelo inadvertently brings up the subject of Joe’s recent death by overdose. Stunned and horrified, Nora rushes back downstairs to the bar and asks Ravi about Joe again. When Nora had asked him about Joe earlier, he had assumed she was asking about Joanna, not Joe. In this life, her brother is long gone.
