The Magician's Assistant

In The Magician’s Assistant, Patchett emphasizes the importance of family while articulating the unconventionality and diversity of such relationships. In many ways, Sabine herself serves as a bridge between the different family dynamics, for she has developed an empathic nature due to the unconditional love she receives from her parents. Because she learned how to love and be loved, Sabine is generous with how she shares her affections for others. While this approach serves her in good stead, her positive experience also stands as a sharp contrast to Parsifal’s childhood trauma, and the narrative implies that she will never be able to fully understand the motivations that led him to make certain life choices. Because she does not have the family trauma from which Parsifal escaped, an emotional chasm has always existed between them.

Despite this emotional roadblock, Sabine is open to unconventional familial relationships even though she comes from a supportive and loving family. As Patchett gradually reveals, Sabine’s marriage to Parsifal is far less than a true partnership even though it represents their genuine love for one another. Because Parsifal cannot love Sabine in the way she loves him, she chooses to accept the version of love that he can give.