Independent Reading Response: Theme Of The Book

           In the book that I am currently reading, "The Elegance of the Hedgehog" by Muriel Barbery, the protagonists, Paloma and Reené are both learning so many things about life. One of the main themes in this book is that not everything comes out like you want it to.
       
           To begin, Reené is a fifty-four year old. "I am a short, ugly, and plump, I have bunions on my feet... I didn't go to college, I have always been poor, discreet, and insignificant. I live alone with my cat." (Barbery 19) Here, Reené is describing how her life is miserable. She has been a concierge for twenty-seven at number 7, rue de Grenelle. She says that it is "a fine hotel particulier with a courtyard and private gardens, divided into eight luxury apartments, all of which are inhabited, all of which are immense." (Barbery 19) She is a widow, her husband Lucien, died years before because he was very ill. She is always complaining about the rich families that occupy the apartments. She thinks that the rich have it better than the poor. She has not yet understand that being rich isn't that great at all, either.
         
           Paloma is a twelve year old. She lives at number 7 rue de Grenelle. She lives on the fifth floor. She is the youngest of the Josses. She does realize that being rich is good, but then she says that she's still going to go through adulthood problems and wealth isn't going to save her from it.
           All of our family acquaintances have followed the same path: their youth spent trying to make
           the most of their intelligence, squeezing their studies like a lemon to make sure they'd secure
           a spot among the elite, then the rest of their lives wondering with a flabbergasted look on
           their faces why all that hopefulness has led to such a vain existence. People aim for the stars,
           and they end up like goldfish in a bowl. ( Barbery 23)
       
           Here, Paloma is trying to say that no matter what you do in your childhood, you'll end with problems and you'll find yourself without any hope left. She's kind of saying that destruction will happen in your life. She does realize that she has it better than other kids, but she can't stand her own family.That is why she says that on her birthday, June sixteenth, she is going to commit suicide. She just says that she doesn't want to go through this.
         
            I think that Paloma is going to befriend Reené because they seem to have kind of the same thoughts. Both are always talking about life. They do understand, that life is difficult, but they still  have not yet realize that not everything in life is perfect. That not everything is going to work out, the way you want it. You just can't control what happens in life. I hope that they soon realize that not everything is fair in life.