As Julian is entering the early stages of his working life, his mother is entering a new phase, but she is marked by a set of changes we might identify as a negative decline. She has an nostalgic view of the past, which is no longer as a way to escape the condition of the present. Julian's mother seems to be driven by the idea that what she is experiencing now in terms of financial challenge, health challenges, as well as social challenges can be minimized with the recalling of the past.