33 pages • 1 hour read
Before I Fall
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Symbols & Motifs
Roses
Roses are a status symbol at Thomas Jefferson High School. On Cupid Day, a student who gets fewer than five is considered pathetic, whereas a student who gets ten or more is thought of as popular.
Shoes
Sam makes mention of the shoes people wear, from what she refers to as her stripper shoes—high heeled platforms—to Anna’s comfortable combat boots and Kent’s checkered sneakers. Shoes represent characters’ personalities, strengths, and weaknesses, as well as outlook on life in general.
Butterflies
At the beginning of the book, the girls discuss the butterfly effect—a chaos theory that argues minor changes can have big effects. Sam’s efforts throughout the book are all examples of this theory. She changes small things such as sending Juliet a large bouquet of roses, and the effects lead to major differences from the original course, and sometimes from the intended course. Butterflies are also symbolic of transformation, because they start as caterpillars which then build a cocoon to change into a butterfly. This relates to the theme of redemption, and therefore can apply to any of the dynamic characters of this story, especially Sam.
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