The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight

The theme of The Unpredictability of Life and Love is further illuminated by the irony surrounding Kate Sullivan’s influence on Andrew’s decision to go to Oxford and Hadley’s recognition of the “randomness” of her meeting with Oliver. As Hadley reflects on the circumstances surrounding her dad’s choice to leave home, she realizes how “odd” it seems, given how close he was to declining the offer to go abroad. She thinks, “if it hadn’t been for Mom—who urged him to go, who said it was his dream, who insisted he’d regret passing up such an opportunity” (135), Andrew never would have gone to England or fallen in love with Charlotte. Ironically, Kate’s encouragement persuaded him to go, and this action indirectly led to their eventual separation and divorce; the unexpected outcome of the trip is just one of many indications in the novel that the rhythms of life and love can never be foreseen with any accuracy.

This truth is further emphasized by Kate’s claim that “[l]ove is the strangest, most illogical thing in the world” (165). The serendipitous nature of Andrew’s relationship combined with Kate’s acceptance and inner peace after the divorce confirm that The Inevitability of Fate is a powerful motive force in the novel as a whole. Similarly, Hadley herself comes to believe that meeting Oliver has an element of the miraculous, for although she never could have predicted the happy meeting that brought her such comfort on the plane, their unexpected connection seems both unpredictable and purposeful, as though it is evidence of destiny itself. The similarity between her meeting with Oliver and her father’s meeting with Charlotte ultimately inspires her to take the first step toward forgiving Andrew for leaving one family to start another.

In addition to navigating her tumultuous family dynamics, Hadley must also muster the courage to navigate the labyrinthine streets of London on her quest to find Oliver, and in the midst of this endeavor, she learns The Importance of Intuition when it comes to choosing the right path in life. Although she has ignored many intuitive signs up until this point, she finally embraces her inner sense of “knowing” when she hears the O’Callaghans mention the funeral and realizes the true nature of Oliver’s appointment at Paddington. Following her intuition even though “[s]he’s not even sure she understands herself” (141), Hadley ventures out into London, boldly acting on her intuition for the first time. Significantly, she has only herself to rely on and cannot count on her mother’s advice; Kate’s failure to answer the phone and directly help Hadley forces the protagonist to embrace her discomfort with the situation and rely on her intuition alone. Her conviction that her current (and ostensibly illogical) course of action is the right thing to do further highlights the theme of The Inevitability of Fate when it comes to matters of romance.

Even when Hadley second-guesses this conviction and begins to suspect that “[s]he shouldn’t have come” (178), Andrew’s book—which Hadley has labeled a “lifeline”—imparts a lesson that supports The Inevitability of Fate, for one particular underlined sentence reads, “No one is useless in this world […] who lightens the burden of it for anyone else” (178). The fact that she catches sight of this phrase while in the throes of self-doubt indicates the presence of an ineffable, universal reassurance that she was right to submit to The Importance of Intuition and seek Oliver out no matter what his initial reaction might be. She might feel embarrassed and awkward for coming, but because Hadley acts in a loving way by trying to lessen the weight of Oliver’s grief, she reaffirms the intense connection that they forged during their time together in the liminal space of the flight to London. Likewise, placing the book on his car is yet another loving act of support, and the fact that it just so happens to contain the address for the reception makes it possible for Oliver to find her again later, confirming the Unpredictability of Life and Love in a world where certain connections seem fated to occur.

Hadley’s development into a more empathic character is emphasized by her response to her father when she returns to the hotel. She sees in his eyes “a look like recognition, like an apology” (189), and when she realizes how much she misses him, much of her former resentment over his choices melts away. Significantly, even the sight of Charlotte “twists Hadley’s heart” (189) with something like regret as she finally realizes that these two people have done nothing but fall in love with one another. After her experience with Oliver, she now understands that such a connection is utterly unpredictable and unpreventable. Thus, Hadley begins to let go of her anger and blame, and she realizes how she close she has come to losing the vital connection she has with her father. The apparent “randomness” of meeting Oliver and her recognition of life’s unpredictability have helped her to understand the importance of lightening “the burden” of the world for others, as Dickens writes. She starts to realize that her meeting Oliver was no accident, just as her father’s meeting with Charlotte was no accident. As Hadley gains a new sense of maturity and reaches these more nuanced conclusions about her parents, the narrative highlights her progress toward adulthood by finally sharing her parents’ first names. This shift emphasizes the fact that Hadley now sees her parents as fellow human beings rather than as solely her mom and dad. She also acknowledges that serendipitous and unpredictable things can happen to them, just as they happen to her.