The Spectacular

“Simon Brooks was born into a working-class family on the Lower East Side and went from slogging around the city in work boots to pushing papers in a corner office as a salaried executive, an incredible feat.”

This passage creates a succinct yet effective characterization of Simon's approach to life. Although Marion regularly disagrees with her father’s worldviews, she respects him for his achievements. A self-made man, Simon overcame the hardships of the Great Depression and fought to secure a safe home and secure income for his family. Later, when Simon manipulates and lies to Marion and Judy, Marion generously credits Simon’s insecure upbringing as his motivation for his inexcusable behavior.

“How tragic to think that all that was left of Lucille’s burgeoning career had been packed into a box and hidden in an attic, untouched until now.”

Entering adulthood, Marion desperately wants to know more about Lucille’s life, aspirations, and motivations. Marion recognizes that the items from her mother’s acting career must have been important for her to save them. Faced with a similar decision (to sacrifice her freedom for her family or to embrace the opportunities of a dancing career), Marion wishes to know more about her mother’s choices in order to gain greater insight into Simon’s current motivations to oppose her own aspirations.

“‘You should have told us the truth,’ said Marion. ‘We deserve to understand who our mother really was, not some made-up version of her that suited you.’”

Throughout the novel, Simon attempts to control his daughters’ opinions of both him and Lucille. In reality, he forced Lucille to give up her dream of being an actress when he impregnated her; according to the social strictures of the time, this necessitated that she marry him and thus become dependent upon him for financial support. This version of reality paints Simon negatively, which explains his reasons for bending the truth to portray himself in a more favorable light. However, this ultimately backfires, for learning that he lied about the past also causes his daughters to adopt a less complimentary view of his character.

“‘Our lives aren’t set in stone. You can do anything you want.’ ‘No. You can do anything you want. For the rest of us, the choices are rather limited.’ ‘That’s not true.’ Yet Marion knew she was treated differently from her sister because of her looks. By friends, by strangers. And it wasn’t fair.”

Judy highlights the repercussions of the limits placed on women in 1950s America. Although the male characters, like Nathaniel, are attracted to radiant, successful performers like Marion, they really want someone like Judy, who will feel fulfilled in the role of wife, housekeeper, and mother. Judy’s approach to life underscores the additional limitations that were placed on women who were considered to be less attractive by the societal standards of the time.

“In fact, Marion’s time with the Rockettes had showed her the value of pulling back, figuratively as well as physically. When a number called for an arabesque, with one leg up in the air behind her, Marion knew that stepping into her natural, full extension would be too much.”

While dancing with the Rockettes, Marion must make sacrifices for the good of the group by restraining herself from dancing freely. Doubting her ability to achieve a successful career in the performing arts, Marion attempts to hide her full range of abilities in order to blend into the Rockettes’ precise style. This sacrifice symbolizes Marion’s willingness to give up other desires for the betterment of her family, such as when she returns to Simon’s home at the novel’s conclusion.

“It’s an easy way out, especially with those prone to violence. Instead of being analyzed and studied so that we can get to the bottom of their illnesses, they’re written off as lost causes, left to waste away.”

Peter dislikes how regularly his colleagues rely on medication to control their patients. He prefers to treat his patients rather than simply treating their symptoms. Peter detests his colleagues’ oversimplified approach to mental health treatments as much as he loathes the police department’s unsophisticated and short-sighted investigative techniques while searching for the Big Apple Bomber.

“That’s exactly what the investigation needs: science. The police are stuck, and maybe you can help them out of it, give them some ideas to go on.”

In this passage, Marion demonstrates her ability to make connections and think creatively. While the police underestimate Marion simply for being a woman, she fights back with her wit and logic. Although she often fails to persuade those around her, particularly the other male characters, Marion never forfeits her capacity to speak her mind and take direct action to improve her circumstances.

“It was like watching the conductor of an orchestra, the way Peter was presenting his case. Marion listened raptly, awed by his specificity and his passionate delivery.”

Marion experiences a romantic awakening upon meeting and working with Peter. Before befriending him, Marion believed that she should marry Nathaniel because it was the logical next step in her life. When Marion falls in love with Peter for his kindness and intelligence, she realizes that her feelings for Nathanial are platonic at best.

“Sometimes new Rockettes have a hard time adjusting to the role. The restrictions of this style of dance can feel stifling for some. You’re a terrific dancer, don’t get me wrong, but there are times you stand out from the crowd. I think you know what I’m talking about.”

Without intending to, Marion consistently draws others’ attention, especially when she performs. This is partially due to Marion’s desire to feel her movement and express herself with music accompaniment. When Marion dances, she goes beyond precisely performing the steps in the correct order, which is what the Rockettes demand of her. Ultimately, Marion realizes that her innate talents for freestyle dancing mean that she isn’t a good fit for the Rockettes.

“A Rockette and a doctor consulting with the police? I would say that’s the least likely duo to crack the mystery of the Big Apple Bomber if ever I saw one.”

Simon hurts Marion by continuously underestimating her. Throughout Simon’s life, Marion finds ways to praise her father for his efforts at work and home. However, Simon fails to reciprocate this support, instead choosing to dismiss his daughter’s efforts and ambitions even as he seeks to control her actions.

“‘I love how proud you are of what you do,’ said Marion. ‘And I feel the same way about being a Rockette.’”

Marion recognizes the fulfillment of a career outside the home, where a person is free to be passionate about their work. She wishes that Simon would open his mind enough to accept that women, just like men, are now seeking active career opportunities beyond the traditional roles of wife, mother, teacher, or secretary. Moreover, she wants Simon to be as proud of her as she is of him.

“I’m trying to figure out if there’s a better way to help them besides giving them food and a bed for a night and preaching abstinence.”

Peter exhibits his respect for The Importance of Civic Responsibility when he assists those living in sheltered accommodations. Although it is far easier to simply provide a free meal for those challenged with addiction and send them on their way, Peter attempts to think of more impactful ways to help those who are suffering, and his actions ultimately benefit the community at large.

“It was a far cry from Marion’s cramped bedroom at the Rehearsal Club or the overdecorated house in Bronxville with its heavy drapes and knickknacks. This was a place where you could come back and find peace after a crazy day. The air felt light and pure. It was a place where you could breathe easy.”

Peter’s apartment building symbolizes his character traits. He gives very little away from his outward appearance. However, upon getting to know him, Marion finds him to be a beautiful and caring individual. Marion can see herself fitting into Peter’s life just as she can see herself living in his apartment.

“At the same time, this was the world she’d been brought up in, where men talked and women listened. The way Simon went about things was so irksome and backhanded. It made her want to run even further away.”

Feeling tricked into attending a dinner with Nathaniel, Marion wishes that her father would take an interest in her profession as he does Nathaniel’s. Although Marion understands that Simon and Nathaniel act like most men in 1950s America, her desire for Simon to be more progressive and open-minded turns into expectation, and when he fails to adapt, this proves to be a deal-breaker in their relationship.

“He had to be kidding. But then again, maybe that was why he was reluctant to replace Mrs. Hornsby. He figured Marion would take her place, cooking and cleaning and looking after the men of the house. Which was simply not going to happen.”

Although Marion expects Simon to show more respect for her career, he instead makes an even more tone-deaf demand by expecting Marion to sacrifice her work to care for him in his retirement. Marion dislikes how indirectly Simon communicates this plan to her, and she immediately recognizes his tricky, manipulative tactics at work.

“I’m proud that I take after her in that way, in pursuing a career in the arts. Let me follow my dream since you didn’t let Mom follow hers.”

Marion’s accusations become more direct as the novel progresses, and she discovers a spiritual kinship with her late mother as she develops her career in the performing arts. Although Lucille is long since gone, Marion feels a unique connection to her mother when she learns more about Lucille’s thwarted acting career.

“‘Rejecting your family in pursuit of some silly dream. Not caring who you hurt while you do so. Well done, then, Marion. Well done.’ He paused. ‘Your mother would be proud.’”

In this passage, Simon again twists the truth and engages in deliberate gaslighting to project the idea that Marion is the problem rather than himself. This manipulative exchange, which is designed to elicit his daughter’s guilt, causes Marion to question her motivations and ambitions. He attempts to convince Marion that she should feel ashamed and inadequate even as he belittles her dreams and ambitions. Marion will later express hatred for her father’s deceit.

“Beulah picked up the melody right away, giving it an extra kick as Marion snapped back and forth between the steps they knew so well and an improvised movement that came out of nowhere.”

On very few occasions, Marion dances freestyle or allows her young students to do so. These moments add lightness and relief to an otherwise serious plot, displaying the more whimsical attributes of a highly traumatized main character. In all aspects of her life, Marion is at her best when she is allowed to move freely.

“No matter how much she loved to dance, Marion didn’t want to be that type of person. Maybe she didn’t want to take after her mother after all. That legacy was not one she wished to carry forward. What if, by going after her own dream, Marion was on the road to ruin as well? Just as her father had predicted.”

Marion’s self-doubt stems from misinformation provided by Simon. Her greatest fear is hurting those she cares for most. Conversely, Simon fails to take accountability for hiding George Martinek’s personnel file, a decision that costs multiple lives, including Judy’s. Only when Marion learns Lucille’s full story will she finally realize that she isn’t hurting anyone by pursuing her dreams.

“When Marion and Judy were in their early teens, their father brought them into the backyard on a warm spring day and insisted they learn how to fight, in case they were ever mugged. Marion rolled her eyes and Judy gave a nervous laugh, but Simon insisted. ‘Where I grew up, you had to know how to stand up for yourself, not just with words, but with fists, too, if it came to that.’”

Simon and Marion’s relationship is multifaceted. Ultimately, Simon wants Marion to live a safe, comfortable life and continue to idolize him as a good father. Ironically, despite his many harmful attitudes and manipulative tactics, his practical lessons in self-defense and taking charge of one’s circumstances stick with Marion and help her to develop into an independent and resilient woman.

“Peter appeared. His hair was tousled and his shirt buttoned wrong. She’d never been so glad to see someone, and she rushed into his arms. Despite all the weirdness between them two days earlier, he was the one who understood her best right now. Who knew what she was going through.”

Peter acts as a foil to Nathaniel, for while Nathaniel treats Marion with condescension, Peter values her input and prioritizes her needs over his own. Whenever she needs true support, Marion chooses to call Peter instead of her boyfriend, and this pattern illustrates Nathaniel’s inability to be a steadfast and emotionally trustworthy partner. Ultimately, Marion realizes that she loves Peter because he understands and respects her.

“Peter stood tall. ‘What’s with all the resistance? Here you have someone who’s seen the bomber not once, but twice, and who was nearly—’ He stopped, catching himself. ‘Who he went after, and you’re still pushing back?’”

Unlike any other male character, Peter speaks on Marion’s behalf by directly challenging Detective Ogden’s prejudice. Having been repeatedly denied this type of support from Nathaniel and Simon, Marion appreciates the significance of Peter’s defense.

“I’m the one who was attacked. I think I have every right to track him down, just the way he tracked me. See if he likes it.”

Marion’s actions emphasize the theme of The Importance of Civic Responsibility when she tracks down George Martinek and prevents him from setting off another bomb at Radio City. Marion stands her ground and clarifies her entitlement to follow through with Martinek’s arrest while most other characters define this job as “man’s work.” Although terrified, Marion feels a responsibility to expose Martinek.