Casey’s watch, an expensive gift from Sabine, symbolizes external expectations and pressure to succeed early in life. Sabine only gives Casey the watch because Casey concedes and does what Sabine thinks she should do, that is, apply to business schools. Sabine has a clear vision of what Casey’s life should look like: Casey should graduate from business school, work hard, and eventually take over Sabine’s business. While the watch is a generous gift, it calls attention to how other people have high-pressure expectations as to how Casey should live her life—that is, how she should spend her time. Watches are also constant reminders of the passage of time, and are associated with urgency, productivity, and external expectations such as meetings or appointments. Sabine wants the best for Casey, but she also imposes a strong sense of urgency onto the younger woman, telling her that “every minute matters. Every damn second” (168). The watch symbolizes how other people impose their own values onto their expectations for Casey; ultimately, she needs to navigate around these expectations in order to find out what she truly wants for herself.

The watch, given its high quality and brand status, also symbolizes conventional notions of success.