Toward the end of her segment, Lily promises to give Nick what she didn’t receive growing up from her parents. Based on Nick’s characteristics, in what ways do you think she achieved that? What are some personality traits that Nick has that point to Lily’s influence, in your opinion?
Lily didn’t feel close to her mother. She was everything to Nick so I do think she achieved that. Nick is a kind, loving man. When he needs money he goes out to get a job. I love the way they celebrate Christmas. Can you imagine how Christmas would have been if they had stayed with Matthew?
Lily provided Nick the sense of family. Her values and traditions influenced the man Nick became and will become in his future.
Lily provided Nick with a sense of family, gave him values and tradition that would influence him in the future. Example the love and care he provided for May as she passed. He truly has a sense of what a good man should and can be.
I agree with the other posters here that Lily did give Nick a sense of family. She also respected his choices and tried to give him space to become what he wanted to be. Ironically, though, she also didn’t give him some of what she wanted so desperately from her own parents - answers to his questions, a sense of rootedness, a connection to other relatives. And in trying so hard to let him become what he wanted to be, she also caused him to feel isolated and angry. However, by the end of the book, he was his own person, and he had found answers to many of his questions, and he had created/found an extended family of sorts. I think we could argue that Nick also gave that sense of family to Lily in that he reconnected her with her mother. As Carol N mentioned, he was able to be loving because of the love that Lily had for him.
Lily was not close to her mother, only her father. She, despite her keeping him away from her family, she gave him a sense of values, and taught him to be loving and kind. He demonstrated those traits by showing his care of the grandmother. Matthew wanted to give him love but really didn’t know how to do so.