chapter 11-19 What is the author, Emily Griffin's message about life?

Chapters 11-19 

Making yourself happy is the most fulfilling feeling in life; Emily Griffin expresses this theme throughout her book “Something Borrowed”. The book shares a message to not be ashamed of what you feel even if it hurts others because in the end it's only you who matters. The theme is expressed through a character in the book Rachel. She has a hard time making a decision of “Do I make myself happy? Or hold back my happiness to not hurt others?” and often chooses to hide her feelings to make others happy.

“ “I am fine with the way things are,” I say. It’s not exactly true, but I am afraid of losing him if I ask for more. Of course, I am terrified of truly being with him too.” -Rachel (Page: 136)

Rachel can’t hide her feelings anymore for Darcy’s fiancé Dex and Dex can’t hide what he feels for Rachel. Rachel’s scared of the consequences of being happy because she will end up hurting her best friend Darcy in the process… but should that even matter to her? Yes, they have been best friends since elementary school and have grown to be adults together but is it worth it to stop your happiness for a friend?  Lying to yourself about the feelings you harbor will only end with “what ifs?” and leave you feeling unfulfilled with the life you live.

“Avoiding regret at any cost. Being good no matter what. Good student. Good Daughter. Good friend. And yet I am struck by the sudden realization that regret cuts two ways. I might also regret sacrificing myself, my own desires for Darcy sake, in the name of friendship, in the name of being a good person. Why should I be martyr here?” – Rachel (Page: 163)

Emily Griffin is trying to express a much deeper meaning than most will realize. Being in a tricky situation like Rachel is confusing, and is pure heart to mind battle. Her mind tells her to be a good friend and to push away her feelings to live a drama free simple life, but her heart, on the other hand, is telling her to express her love for Dex. Following her heart would make her happy but the consequences are holding her back. Rachel needs to make a decision if she wants to listen to her mind and always question“what if" I would have expressed my feelings publically would my life be with Dex. An alternative could be to listen to her heart and not have to live with the "What if's".  Us readers, know what she should do, and that is to follow her heart, but Rachel cannot seem to find the direction she wants to follow. Happiness is at her feet, and she is scared to take advantage of it. Emily Griffin expresses the theme that you need to make yourself happy before anybody else.

Do you think Rachel will follow her heart or forever keep in her feelings due to the consequences that might happen?

Chapter 1-10 Songs that relate to the story

   

Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin consist of 99% girl drama and constant plot twists something that drew my attention in and made me never want to put the book down because I was always left with question what will happen next? Will,  Dex, and Darcy get married or will Rachel split them up for good? Does Dex end things with Darcy and live happily with Rachel, or the complete opposite? This book left me with questions after each chapter.

      Darcy and Rachel dreamt since they where little girls of what their life would be once they turned thirty, would they have a family? Maybe a husband? Would their lives be as perfect as they wished for? The big three-zero has finally come for Rachel and to her surprise she has rarely lived her life to make her own self happy. Constantly being casted under Darcy's shadow that hung over her haunting her  twenty's; a time when Rachel felt she accomplished nothing. Rachel wants to finally control her own happiness and does so with the action of betraying a best friend. Now, she slept with Darcy's fiańce Dex and has fallen in love but is Rachel finally following the right path towards happiness or will she hold in her feelings to not hurt Darcy?

" Why didn't I recognize my feelings sooner? Why had I put Darcy's interests ahead of my own? Dex leans in and kisses me again, softly but with a sense of absolute certainty" - Rachel (Page: 87)

    

Songs we listen to today can often relate to events that happen throughout a book you read:  

#1

                                          

"Its even more exhausting avoiding Dex. I avoid him when he is alone, I avoid him when he is with Darcy. Avoid dwelling on him and the incident." -Rachel (Page: 82)

The song " Strangers" by Seven Lions expresses lyrics of two people who try to erase what they had together but then realized they cannot live without each other no matter how hard they try. Rachel is avoiding Dex at all costs. She wants to forget the entire incident so she can go back to living her normal life without having an affair with her best friends fiańce... Will Rachel win this battle and live on without Dex?  This song relates to Rachel and Dex's secret relationship. No matter how hard they tried to avoid each others existence they always found a reason to come back for each other.  Rachel couldn't erase her deep feelings she accumulated for Dex and he felt the same about her. It was a love that couldn't be held back no matter how hard they tried. The second time Dex came over to see Rachel she was nervous. Rachel didn't want to be a bad friend and continue this love affair so she acted blunt but it didn't work for long. 

" I feel myself being sucked into his gaze, losing my resolve to be a good friend, a good friend. I look away nervously..." (Page 85) " He leans forward ... I kiss him back" (Page 86) -Rachel 

#2

"Unconditionally" by Katy Perry describes a love that is never ending for one person. The love she describes is a once in a lifetime feeling that never really goes away. Rachel and Dex cannot stay away from each other they exchange emails, phone calls throughout the day and sometimes anonymous flowers sent by Dex.   Nobody has ever treated Rachel like this before and she feels like she is on cloud nine. Dex sends an email to Rachel, subject line reads "you" : 

" You are an amazing person, and I don't know where the feelings that you give me came from. What do I know is that I am completely and utterly into you and I want time to freeze so I can be with you all the time and not have to think of anything else at all. I like literally everything about you, including the way your face shows everything you're thinking and especially the way it looks when we are together and your hair is back and your eyes are closed and your lips are open just a little bit. Okay. Thats all I wanted to say." - Dex to Rachel ( Page 91). 

Dex and Rachel's relationship has been an up and down roller coaster. Do you think the relationship will ever go father then an affair with the way it is going?