Pictures of You

Content Warning: This section of the guide contains discussion of emotional abuse, suicidal ideation, and death.

Grey shares in the Author’s Note that her daughter’s research on coercive control inspired her fictional representation of the same phenomenon. Coercive control is defined as a pattern of behaviors in which one member of a relationship attempts to control or manipulate the other, and Oliver’s relationship with Evie is an exploration of how that control succeeds.

Initially, it appears to Evie that Oliver’s contacting her while she is with other people is simply a demonstration of his infatuation, which is flattering. His wish to know her schedule is, she insists to Drew, a demonstration of support for her academic studies. When Oliver criticizes her or demonstrates jealousy when she spends time with other friends, like Bree, Evie makes excuses for him, trying to convince herself and others that Oliver really is the perfect boyfriend. Evie is willing to change herself to please him, submitting to his sexual demands and changing her Regency dress for his sake, demonstrating the success of his manipulative tactics. It takes time and a great deal of misery—and the heavy weight of the engagement ring she doesn’t want on her finger, along with seeing Drew again—to make Evie aware of how much of herself she’s cut off or changed in trying to please Oliver.