49 pages • 1 hour read
Kelly BishopThe Third Gilmore Girl: A Memoir
Nonfiction | Autobiography / Memoir | Adult | Published in 2024A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Symbols & Motifs
“At the Ballet”
The song “At the Ballet” from the musical A Chorus Line is based on Kelly Bishop’s formative childhood experiences. The song describes her father’s coldness and infidelities, her mom’s unintentionally hurtful opinion that Bishop would be striking rather than pretty, and how ballet classes provided an escape from these painful realities. In The Third Gilmore Girl, “At the Ballet” becomes a motif illustrating The Fulfillment Derived from Artistic Expression. It represents Bishop’s journey of discovering who she is through her connection to dance.
The author conveys how her first informal ballet lessons with her mom “lit a fire in me that ended up defining my future” (28). Igniting her passion for the performing arts, the lessons provided the purpose that had hitherto been lacking in Bishop’s life, giving her “something I cared about, something I could wake up every morning looking forward to, something I could learn to be good at and proud of” (28). In addition to provoking creative passion, the lessons introduced Bishop to the rewards of having talent steered by discipline. For the first time, she discovered an activity where she needed no encouragement to work hard. The author also conveys how ballet classes prompted the beginnings of her self-confidence. Her body seemed designed for this graceful dance form, and consequently, she felt attractive and worthwhile.
The memoir portrays ballet as having a transcendental effect, offering a channel for complex emotions. For example, ballet classes helped Bishop work through her confused feelings about her parents’ divorce as a teenager. The familiar routine and discipline of ballet became a coping mechanism and refuge, providing the author’s “one constant […] when almost everything else that was familiar to me seemed to crumble and fall away” (32).
Lucia Chase
When Bishop dreamed of joining the prestigious American Ballet Theatre in New York, Lucia Chase was the co-founder and principal dancer of the company. During her childhood ballet lessons, Bishop and her teacher Dimitri Romanoff focused on Lucia Chase as the key to achieving her goals. The prima ballerina serves as a motif in the memoir, illustrating Bishop’s Personal and Professional Resilience.
Romanoff’s attempts to ingratiate Bishop with Chase by sending Chase photographs of his protégé proved unsuccessful. Nevertheless, Bishop was undeterred, moving to New York to audition for the American Ballet Theatre. Describing Chase as an “imperious, terrifying woman” (40), Bishop perceived the prima ballerina as holding “my future in her hands” (40). Chase’s power is illustrated when she overruled Romanoff’s opinion, rejecting Bishop at the auditions. This abrupt end to her childhood dream was the ultimate test of Bishop’s resilience. While shocked at the turn of events, she demonstrated her continued self-belief, remaining convinced of her talent and sure that Chase’s decision was wrong. Furthermore, instead of abandoning her dream, she altered it, learning and adapting to equally expressive styles of dance that led to a career in musicals. Ultimately, the author asserts, “I didn’t need Lucia Chase. ‘The end of the world’ turned out to be just the beginning” (231) of an alternative route to a successful and rewarding career.
Apartments
Bishop’s New York apartments symbolize her life choices throughout the memoir. Her homes are symbolic of the paths she takes, highlighting how her personal decisions are often out of tune with her professional aspirations.
Bishop’s ambition and significant professional achievements are first symbolized by the apartment she owned on 83rd Street and West End Avenue. The home served as tangible proof of her hard work and success in making a living in the ruthless world of show business. It was also an important valuable asset when her first husband’s gambling left them in financial hardship. The eventual foreclosure of Bishop’s apartment due to Peter’s debts illustrates the emotional and financial instability he brought. Losing her beloved home finally convinced Bishop that his presence in her life was contrary to her goals and aspirations.
Bishop’s second home was “a bright, sunny place with French doors and a walk-in closet” on 76th Street (117). This garden apartment represented the fruits of her success after working on A Chorus Line. Nevertheless, despite being bored by her boyfriend Kevin’s company and knowing their relationship had no future, she agreed to him moving in. In doing so, Bishop gave up her freedom, spoiling her enjoyment of the space she had earned.
After marrying Lee Leonard, Bishop retained her garden apartment as a convenient place for them to use while in the city. The harmony between her personal and professional life is indicated by how well the space worked for them. The apartment became the ideal base for Lee while he had cancer treatments, allowing Bishop to continue working at nearby theaters.
