Still Life

In Still Life, Penny examines the human capacity to grow and adapt. Ben expresses his view that “people don’t change” (51). Myrna adopts a more nuanced view, with a recognition that many, perhaps most, people show little interest in changing their ways, though they may profess otherwise, but an important minority do work toward positive change. “The solution,” she asserts, “rests with us” (140). Her comments accord with Gamache’s counsel to Nichol about the primacy of choice in determining outcomes. A single choice may not have much impact, but over time, “a gradual change, an evolution” takes place (184), as Mr. Croft reflects, comparing such a change to the process of pickling cucumbers.

Barriers to change include the mistaken beliefs that change is not possible or else not needed. While Ben espouses the earlier viewpoint, Nichol subscribes to the latter, blaming others for problems of her own creation. This is not to imply that the characters can be neatly divided into those who change and those who do not. Instead, characters pass through periods of openness and resistance to change. Ruth spends much of her life repressing her feelings about her role in breaking up Jane’s engagement, and Jane spends most of her life hiding her art from others who might enjoy and appreciate it.