So here's a little bit about Paul Edelstein.
🍋 Appearance 🍋
In chapter 16, Rose described what her father looks like.
"He had a striking forehead, my father: long with a slight slope at the hairline that lent him an air of officiality. His hair- thick, black, streaked with gray- gripped closely to the top of the forehead, making a clear assured arch. He looked like the head of a corporation." Page 108
Young Paul
Paul was quite adventurous when he was younger. This is shown also in chapter 16 when Rose found out that he starred in his school's musical, Brigadoon. Being a perfectly average singer (as mentioned in page 108), it takes a lot of confidence to play the lead in a play, what more a musical. This boldness of his is very contradictory with the Paul Rose knows.
"I was the lead in my high-school play, Dad said, sipping his water. I dropped my fork on the floor. What? Oh sure, Dad said. Everyone did it, he said. A musical? George asked. Of course, Dad said. Even Mom laughed. Dad filled his mouth with yam. What musical? I asked, and we all waited while he went through the process of chewing and swallowing, and dabbing with his napkin, ending on the word Brigadoon." (Page 108)
🍋 Clever 🍋
"I hit the mean all through law school, he said. I scored exactly in the fiftieth percentile on the LSAT. Five oh. He nodded at himself, pleased." Page 108
🍋 Determined 🍋
Paul has been very determined in making Lane's footstool dream come true. He literally bent over backwards (well his friend did) in making the velvet footstool, all in the hopes to impress Lane.
"He was charming and tall, and offered to haul any heavy items outside, and when the owners all said yes, and at house after house, he called up Carl with instructions. Please, he whispered. I need you to send someone tot he fabric store to pick up some velvet. He cupped his hand over the receiver mouthpiece. In a fierce hiss, he promised Carl, that he, Dad, would start cleaning the living room of his textbooks and shoes, yes, if only he, Carl, would rip off the wool top of the one footstool they had." (Page 87)
For a young man to promise doing chores, that girl must really be something, don't you think?
🍋 Persistent 🍋
Paul loathes hospitals. However, in his own way, he did his best in showing Lane his support.
"After Dad parked, he located the maternity ward, called up, found the number of her room, and asked the harried nurse for the exact location of Mom's window. When the nurse wouldn't tell him, he called back repeatedly, every minute, until she yelled it into the phone: South Side! Eighth Floor! Third Window From Left! Now Stop Fucking Calling! after which he promptly dialed up a local florist to send the nurse a gorgeous bouquet of tulips, one that arrived long before Joseph did." (Page 103)
🍋 Loving 🍋
During Rose's heart-to-heart moment with her Dad, he told her this;
"For you, Rose? he was saying. For your birth? When I turned, his face was closer than usual, and I could see the slight strain in the lines above his eyebrows. The quiet urgency in whatever he wanted to tell me. Yes? I said. His hand hovered in the air. For you, he said, I brought binoculars." (Page 111)
Older Paul
🍋 Distant 🍋
As he got older, Paul became more distant, physically, and I can only imagine emotionally, distant with his family. The following line shows his distance from his wife.
"He looked like he might want to come in and kiss her but wasn't sure if it would work, so instead he lined up his briefcase against the closet wall, vanished down the hall to change, and joined us as we sat down with the food surrounding steaming bowls and platters." (Page 13)
The following line shows his distance from his children.
"He always seemed a little like a guest to me." (Page 13)
This was mentioned by the younger version of Rose.
"After Thursday's dinner, my father and I piled into the car and drove awkwardly around the blocks, him instructing me how to brake." (Page 167)
This was mentioned by Rose when she was older.
🍋 Hard to please 🍋
"...and when Mom dragged him out to see the the finished product,he said nice, nicely done, and then folded his arms. What? Mom said. Nothing It has a key lock, I said, pointing. Just funny, said Dad, wrinkling his nose. All this work for a door in a room only one of us goes into." (Page 8)
Paul's reaction showed no honest appreciation to the aesthetics of Lane's masterpiece.
🍋 Calm and collected 🍋
Paul reacted to Joseph's disappearance very calmly. Although prying for the details of what happened that night, he made sure Rose was taken care of, asking her to drink some tea as she was shivering at the time. This can be seen in pages 203 till 206. The text is too long for me to type so maybe you should read that yourselves huhu.
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