The Paper Palace

Peter is Elle’s husband whom she meets in London. He is a British journalist. Peter represents a steady, dependable love for Elle. He is a foil to Jonas, as Jonas represents Elle’s messy past and all the truth of what she’s done and regrets. Elle even chooses to lie about herself to Peter, telling him that she’s a virgin and never telling him the full story of the day on the boat with Conrad. She describes him as, “a handsome man. Not beautiful, but handsome in an old-fashioned movie star way. Tall. Elegant. British. [...] Patient, but formidable when angered. He can keep a secret. He rarely misses a beat” (20). Elle genuinely loves Peter for the love he shows their children, the care he gives to Wallace, and the devotion he shows to her.

Throughout The Paper Palace, Elle finds herself torn between her husband and her childhood friend, Jonas. For her, Jonas represents the past, and their relationship is interwoven with their decision to not save Conrad, making him a foil to Elle’s stepbrother. Jonas first meets Elle as she flees Conrad, who has been spying on her in the bathroom. Later, when she admits to him that Conrad is abusing her, Jonas helps to protect her by allowing Conrad to drown. Consequently, Elle feels that their relationship is tainted by this decision, and she thinks that she has “forced him to collude, to carry my life. It’s as if I have stolen his virginity” (204). This is also symbolized in the green glass ring Jonas gives her after Conrad dies when they swear to keep everything a secret. For Jonas, it is a symbol of their love, and he tries to convince her that their love is still real, despite their mistakes.

Jonas is a static character who doesn’t change much throughout the novel. Jonas feels justified in killing Conrad and is in love with Elle during each of their interactions. He only says he doesn’t love Elle when he plans to marry Gina, but he’s quick to tell Elle he lied when she asks about it. Jonas shows an interest in nature, a detail that Heller uses to imply he’s a part of the Back Woods. Elle first meets him as he’s lost in the woods, he becomes an adept sailor alongside Elle, he hunts a snapping turtle, and his wife catches him trying to find an osprey nest. Just as the Back Woods make Elle come alive again, so does Jonas, who is an integral part of the landscape to Elle.

Wallace Bishop is Elle’s mother. She was sexually abused by her stepfather, an experience that had a profound effect both on her life and on her daughter’s. When Wallace’s mother, Nanette, discovered the abuse, she slapped Wallace on the face, which caused her to “los[e] her respect for women but not for men. Her stepfather’s perversion was a hard truth, but it was her mother’s weak-willed betrayal that made her go cold” (43). To Elle, this meant that “[i]n my mother’s world, the men are given respect. She believes in the glass ceiling” (26). Because of this belief, Elle feels unable to come to her and confide in her about Conrad. When Wallace later discovers that Elle was abused by reading her journal, she asks why Elle didn’t confide in her, and Elle admits that she didn’t want her mother to hate her.

However, Wallace at the end also seemingly provides some degree of absolution for Elle. When Elle admits to Wallace how she and Jonas did not throw Conrad the life vest when he drowned, Wallace comforts her, and Elle lets go of the bitterness she felt toward her mother. As they finish talking, Wallace seems to sense that Elle is torn between Peter and Jonas and gives her one last piece of advice, suggesting that there are some swims she might regret, but Elle will never know unless she dives in. The novel ends with Elle diving into the pond and swimming toward Jonas.