Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant?: A Memoir

In Can‘t We Talk About Something More Pleasant?, family dynamics becomes a central motif that thematically links to Caring for Aging Parents. The memoir delves into how her family functioned during her childhood and how these dynamics shifted as a result of her parents’ illness and impending death.

Chast’s parents, Elizabeth and George, are a peculiar couple with contrasting personalities. Elizabeth is strong-willed, decisive, and prone to “volcano-like […] rage” (42), while George is meek, kind, and a chronic worrier. Despite these differences, however, they are deeply codependent and consider themselves soulmates. George relies on Elizabeth for transportation since he doesn’t drive, and when she’s taken to the hospital, they ride together in the ambulance. During Elizabeth’s hospitalization, George continuously asks about her. Chast reflects that her parents have been “each other’s only mirror for too long” (133), making it difficult for them to socialize with other residents at the assisted living facility. Elizabeth is overbearing, but George agrees with her on everything. For example, on Page 133, Elizabeth scolds George for not eating enough lunch, and he agrees with her and thanks her.

Chast’s relationship with her parents is complex. She feels closer to her father than her mother: “I was my father’s daughter, not my mother’s” (177).