50 pages • 1 hour read
Love Redesigned
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Themes
The Effects of Grief and Depression on Relationships
In many ways, Dahlia and Julian must reckon with their pasts to move toward a healthy relationship. For both protagonists, grief and depression have had profound impacts on their self-perception and the trajectories of their lives. Part of their character arcs in Love Redesigned thus revolves around learning to confront and overcome the effects of grief and depression on their relationships and personal development.
Julian quickly recognized how his grief impacted his relationship with Dahlia after his father’s death, as he believed he could not pursue a relationship with her in the midst of his complicated feelings and responsibilities. He pushed her away, although he also expected Dahlia to reach out again afterward. Julian’s grief left him with no room to consider what she might have been feeling at the time, which exacerbates the misunderstandings between the two characters. During the events of the novel, Dahlia’s depression works similarly. She often battles with her own thoughts about whether or not she is worthy enough to have a relationship, as Oliver led her to believe she is worthless and defective due to her fertility issues. Both Dahlia and Julian must thus learn to gradually confront how their griefs and setbacks stand in the way of being with one another.
Dahlia and Julian’s grief and depression also influence their self-perception and how they live their lives. It takes Julian until nearly the end of the novel to address how his grief has hindered his ability to step out from his father’s shadow. A turning point in his character arc is symbolized by his return to his father’s woodshop: He realizes he can honor his father by being his own person, which helps him regain a sense of purpose and direction. Dahlia is also unable to immediately recognize how years of doubting herself in her relationship with Oliver makes her afraid to trust Julian. She doesn’t recognize how this impacted her relationship with herself until she has to take a chance on love and her future. She resolves her dilemmas when she turns down her TV show deal to be with Julian, reflecting her renewed confidence.
By the end of the novel, both Julian and Dahlia have decided they deserve better than to be entirely ruled by their negative emotions. Julian begins to let go of the things in life that no longer serve him, handing many of his duties in the business off to someone else and reconsidering what he wants most out of life rather than what he thinks he should want. Dahlia’s change is more gradual yet more significant, as it takes her battling her own thoughts to change her life. In what appears to be a conversation between herself and her depression in Chapter 50, Dahlia recognizes that she needs to be accountable for changing herself and her relationship. She says, “It’s time to forgive yourself for your past mistakes and move on” (415), showing how her entire way of thinking must change for her to be happy. Having learned to confront their griefs and insecurities, Dahlia and Julian are able to finally unite and start a new chapter of their lives together.
The Benefits of Second Chances
Throughout the narrative, Julian and Dahlia must learn how to navigate their relationship, especially as it changes over time. Both Julian and Dahlia are initially stuck in an unsatisfying pattern of behavior with one another, one based on long-held mistaken assumptions and fears. As the narrative unfolds, however, the protagonists gradually learn to embrace the benefits of second chances.
Before the story begins, Dahlia and Julian’s relationship is already complex. They grew up together and developed a long-standing rivalry as children, with both of them constantly attempting to outdo the other. Although they had a brief romantic affair later on in college, the sudden death of Julian’s father ended their budding romance before it had the chance to develop further. While both Dahlia and Julian are convinced that things between them can never be fully resolved, the more time they spend together in their hometown, the more their original assumptions are undermined.
In spite of the fact that both characters attempt to deny and suppress their romantic attraction, from the very beginning they struggle to keep away from one another. As Julian notes in the first chapter, “It’s pathetic how one smile from her can stir up countless memories, all of which are best left in the past, along with any feelings I once had for her” (21). Although Julian tries to present himself as self-aware enough to know that his feelings are “best left in the past” (21), the fact that he still feels so strongly attracted to her reveals that they may still have a future together after all. In a similar manner, although Dahlia tries to appear indifferent to Julian, she is willing to accept his offer to work on the Founder’s house with him, and quickly begins to open up to him about her emotional struggles.
Julian and Dahlia’s reunion in Lake Wisteria gives them the chance to revisit their mistaken assumptions about one another and rectify them. Dahlia learns from her mother and sister that it is obvious that Julian always cared for her; his longstanding interest in her career and well-being is confirmed when she visits his house and sees all of the products from her home collection there. As she eventually admits, “It’s time I showed him I feel the same way, even if it means putting my heart on the line once more” (418). In a similar manner, Julian realizes that underneath Dahlia’s apparent coolness, there is a lot of past hurt and fear shaped by both her negative experiences with Oliver and Julian’s abrupt abandonment of her years before. As both characters begin to realize the authenticity of one another’s feelings, they open up to one another about their regrets, drawing closer to one another.
Ultimately, Dahlia and Julian’s willingness to embrace second chances allows them to have the romantic relationship they had always secretly hoped for. While they begin the novel as old rivals, they end it as partners: They have successfully worked together to restore their new home, the Founder’s house, and they now feel confident enough to marry, knowing that their love for one another is mutual and sincere. In this way, Dahlia and Julian overcome their past mistakes and forge a different path together the second time around.
The Importance of Family
Though the schemes of the Lopezes and Muñozes often cause trouble for Dahlia and Julian, their families play an important part in their lives and even in their relationships. Throughout Love Redesigned, Dahlia and Julian find comfort and support from their loved ones, revealing the importance of family.
Dahlia seeks family support when her life begins to fall apart. She spends time with her sister and mother, as well as her surrogate family, the Lopezes. Within the warmth of her family circle, she slowly begins to recover something of her lost confidence. Meanwhile, Julian’s life revolves around his family, which gives him a sense of belonging and purpose in the years after his father’s death. Julian often acts like the breadwinner for his family, doing everything he can to take care of them with the wealth he has made. While Julian eventually realizes that it is sometimes valid to prioritize his own needs and desires too, his family remains supportive of him throughout his character arc.
Their families, particularly the matriarchs, often offer them wisdom when Dahlia and Julian are locked in self-destructive patterns. Dahlia fears what Rosa will think about her relationship with Julian, yet Rosa offers her wise advice: She recognizes Julian’s sincerity and worthiness, which gives Dahlia a new perspective on him. It is also Josefina’s idea to get Julian to help Dahlia, which forges the path toward a more permanent reunion. Josefina also encourages Julian to understand that his father would have been proud of him regardless of what he did for the family or their business, which frees Julian from his suffocating grief. As Josefina also tells Dahlia, “This is what life is all about […] Living rather than going through the motions” (269). Dahlia’s sister Lily also plays a role in her relationship, convincing Dahlia that Julian made his choices for himself rather than for her alone: “[W]hy are you going to start doubting him and his choices now?” (397).
In a way, the Lopezes and the Muñozes form a single family, as members of both families are often willing to do whatever they can for the other. Their shared Sunday dinners and holidays emphasize this, as does Josefina and Rosa’s undying friendship with one another. Dahlia treats Josefina as a second mother, as Julian does with Rosa, and the fact that both are god-parents to Nico further highlights the connection between the families. At the end of the story, both families help arrange Dahlia and Julian’s wedding, symbolizing their unwavering support for the couple and their identity as a family unit.
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