The first person to love her is an elderly furrier who makes her feel attractive by letting her model his expensive wares. This is a relationship without a future but it sets a pattern for unsuitable and undemanding older lovers. Again the character recalls an earlier incarnation, also called Max, from the short story, Semper Fidelis . I'd never had. A perfect vignette of a dysfunctional family, the chapter is witty, perceptive and self-contained.
Bloom has a wonderfully vivid turn of phrase and is particularly good at describing emotion.
In fact, as Elizabeth gets older she becomes more and more acquainted with disappointment and loss. Most poignant of all is her loss of Mrs Hill, the elderly black lady she visits and gradually comes to love. With Elizabeth's growth of insight and maturity the novel gathers emotional and philosophical momentum, making it a moving and at times profound commentary on the pains and pleasures of growing up.