Highsmith focuses heavily on how Therese watches Carol—the obsession with details like gloves, perfume, and cigarettes [5].

Sophisticated, wealthy, and burdened by the social expectations of her class. She must choose between her daughter and her authentic self.

It was revolutionary for its time because it defied the "tragic lesbian" trope of the 1950s, where queer characters were typically punished, killed, or "cured" by the final page [3, 4].

The story follows , a stage designer working a temporary job at a department store. She becomes infatuated with Carol Aird , an elegant suburban mother undergoing a difficult divorce. Their relationship develops during a cross-country road trip, but they are pursued by a private investigator hired by Carol’s husband to gather evidence of her "moral turpitude" to win a custody battle [1, 6]. 3. Key Characters

Read the 1990 edition, which includes Highsmith’s afterword about the book's reception [2].