The Princess of Las Vegas

The novel has three narrators: sisters Crissy and Betsy, and Betsy’s adopted daughter, Marisa. While the chapters alternate between Crissy and Betsy’s points of view, italicized text from Marisa precedes each chapter. Marisa’s italicized first-person narration creates a sense of maturity and intimacy, often foreshadowing the events that follow. Her detached observations of the adult world contrast with the emotional turbulence of Crissy and Betsy, establishing her as a grounding force in the narrative. Crissy also uses first-person point narration, offering intimacy and immersive emotions. Betsy’s third-person narration creates narrative distance, which allows her to remain mysterious as the plot unfolds and her relationship with Futurium shifts. Betsy is passive, allowing life to happen to her, which the third-person point of view stresses. Both Crissy and Marisa have experienced significant life struggles, and they have strong senses of humor. Marisa helps Crissy reconnect with Betsy, and her first-person narration highlights her closeness with Crissy.

Crissy and Betsy become estranged following the death of their mother, which Crissy blames Betsy for: “It was an accident. But she still had blood on her hands” (25). This allusion to Lady Macbeth’s monologue from Act 5, Scene 1 of Macbeth not only reflects Crissy’s belief in Betsy’s culpability but also reveals her own latent guilt and psychological turmoil. The reference to Lady Macbeth highlights Crissy’s ambition and moral conflict, suggesting that her desire for fame mirrors the destructive power of unchecked ambition in Shakespeare’s tragedy. Despite Crissy’s allusion to her sister, it is Crissy who suffers from the guilt: “[I]t was my hell that was left murky” (25). Crissy feels responsible for her mother’s death despite blaming Betsy, and the guilt makes her suffer. Further alluding to Lady Macbeth, at the beginning of the novel, Crissy has fame but is terrified that Betsy will steal it, leading her to act irrationally and angrily. Quoting Shakespeare also highlights how Crissy has Anglified her vocabulary, making her sound more British, like Diana.

Some of the language used to describe Marisa’s adoption is dehumanizing. When Betsy describes her fears regarding motherhood, she uses objectifying language, describing Marisa as “a twelve-year-old human being with enough emotional baggage to fill the hold of a passenger jet” (54). While she acknowledges that Marisa isn’t a “pandemic puppy,” she still treats Marisa like an object instead of a human being to nurture. This language underscores Betsy’s initial struggle to view Marisa as an autonomous individual rather than a project to “fix.” Betsy’s language foreshadows the flipped power dynamics between Marisa and her, as she often acts on her whims and desires. Meanwhile, Marisa is talented in math and science, leading her to use logic, often reversing the expected parent-child dynamic, as she protects Betsy both emotionally and practically. Ultimately, Betsy is responsible for getting Crissy and Marisa involved—and kidnapped—by Futurium. Marisa takes on the role of protector for Betsy by recording the crimes happening at Frankie’s house and protecting her mother’s cryptocurrency by moving it to a different account. This reversal highlights Marisa’s precociousness and emphasizes the recurring idea of power dynamics within familial relationships.

The theme of Luck Versus Fate is introduced in the first few chapters of the novel. Luck and fate also symbolize Crissy and Betsy: While Betsy always believes in fate, Crissy only believes in luck. When Betsy announces that she is moving to Las Vegas, the sisters’ dichotomy is highlighted: “Doesn’t this seem like destiny? […] I meet a guy and he’s moving to the city where my sister lives. Doesn’t it seem like fate to you?” Crissy replies, “No. It seems like bad luck” (40). This exchange illustrates how the sisters’ contrasting beliefs shape their responses to challenges: Betsy romanticizes situations, often ignoring warning signs, while Crissy adopts a more pragmatic but cynical outlook. However, both sisters are right. Betsy moving to Las Vegas does force the sisters to reconcile and create a new family unit, which could be seen as fate. However, Betsy’s arrival to Las Vegas brings tragedy and bad luck for Crissy, as she is consumed by Futurium’s desire to own Buckingham Palace Casino. Betsy’s desire to believe in destiny and fate allows her to overlook bad or ominous situations. When she decides to move to Las Vegas with Frankie, she is overcome with the romanticism of the move: “She had no premonition that might dissuade her, no augury telling her no. But had there ever been omens warning her away from her worst instincts?” (53). It appears that nothing will keep Betsy from facing reality and realizing the move is not a good idea, even as circumstances with Frankie grow more suspicious. Additionally, the idea of “moving west” has been romanticized in American literature and history and is viewed often as a chance to gain economic freedom and security. While Betsy loves Frankie, she loves what she can gain from him by moving west more.

Crissy’s growing entanglement with Yevgeny and Buckingham Palace Casino further complicates the plot. Yevgeny’s wealth and mysterious connections introduce an element of intrigue, while his connection to Congresswoman Schweiker signals political stakes that extend beyond Crissy’s personal life. The juxtaposition of Crissy’s personal struggles with larger political and criminal forces reflects the idea of individual agency versus systemic control, a tension mirrored in the characters’ debates over luck versus fate.

Artie Morley’s suspicions about Richie’s death introduce another layer of tension, as Crissy is drawn into a morally ambiguous scheme to manipulate Schweiker. Crissy’s hesitance to comply with Artie’s plan highlights her internal conflict between self-preservation and loyalty to her career and the people tied to it. This moment also sets the stage for Futurium’s escalating role as an antagonist, with its influence gradually consuming Crissy, Betsy, and Marisa’s lives.

The narrative also explores identity through Crissy’s career as a Diana impersonator. Her struggle to distinguish her personality from Diana’s demonstrates the theme of The Curse and Confusion of Celebrity. Crissy reflects that she has built her life from “the gossamer of memory and nostalgia” (129), emphasizing how her existence is rooted in illusion rather than reality. Her reliance on mimicry reflects a loss of selfhood, which is compounded by her fear that Betsy’s arrival in Las Vegas will blur their identities further. This fear of identity theft is both literal and symbolic, as Crissy’s professional life depends on maintaining an unchallenged monopoly on her role as Diana.

Literary devices such as foreshadowing and symbolism enrich the narrative. Marisa’s reflections, such as her musings on puzzles and logic, foreshadow her eventual role as a problem-solver and protector for Betsy and Crissy. Similarly, the recurring motif of gambling in Las Vegas symbolizes the risks and stakes that each character faces, both personally and professionally. For example, Crissy’s flirtation with Yevgeny at the poker table mirrors her dangerous gamble of becoming entangled in Futurium’s schemes.