Self-discipline
Elena Ferrante often underlines the mastery of those who own their personality and who search, with all their might, to maintain it, whatever happens.
From the beginning, this desire for self-control clearly appears in Olga, through her attempts to control language, to free herself from her Neapolitan accent, and to even forget aggressive idioms or tones of voice.
Mirrors
In the novel, mirrors are fundamentally important for Olga. They allow her to perceive herself and help her to fight her internal crises.
Elena Ferrante often represents the experience of a female subject in her novels. The women she writes are characterized by a natural disquiet and uncertainty, and they demonstrate a need for internal discovery and analysis, through the observation of their effect on others—through observing a reflection.
