Lock And Key Theme

How could isolation be so tempting after the abandonment of a loved one? In Lock and Key, written by Sarah Dessen, Ruby is a seventeen year old left by her mother to fend for herself. After living smartly and quietly for several months, Ruby's plan of solitude was crushed by a landlord. Because she was caught, she is forced to transition into the lifestyle of her wealthy older sister who hadn't been seen in years. As Ruby meets the caring and loyal people in her new, unfamiliar life, it becomes harder to cut off relationships that become to personal. Ruby has the decision to accept people and become weak or remain secluded and have a sense of security. The pull of independence is constantly a struggle for Ruby, feeling the need to support herself. …show more content…
Ruby is forced to become self reliant after her sister, Cora, left for college. Cora had always been her protector, provider, and her substitute mother. After her mother left abruptly, Ruby has no option but to sink further into her self dependence and develop a mentality that a person can only be strong by being independent. "Only a weak person needed someone else around all the time" (Dessen). These thoughts of Ruby's were because of her ongoing longing for her mother. Because she didn't want to admit her vulnerability, she justified it by accusing others of weakness for needing community. This led to Ruby being fickle in all of her relationships, resulting in her having no close friends. "This was exactly what I wanted, as commitments had never really been my thing. And it wasn't like it was hard, either. The only trick was never giving more than you were willing to lose" (Dessen). By letting people in, Ruby believed that it would give them control over her. Consequently, she always broke off relationships before commitment became necessary. This was driven by fear of being left alone by somebody she truly cared about. Because Ruby's mother ran off, it instilled a fear in her that anybody Ruby gave her heart to would …show more content…
This allows Ruby the chance to fight the hatred of dependence upon people and learn to trust. Even through her transition, she would always have a scar left from her mother's absence. Despite Ruby's best efforts she will also constantly fight her aversion of commitment. Even after the departure of a loved one, the strongest urge is not to develop relationships with people, but instead to withdraw from