53 pages • 1 hour read
Fangirl Down
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Symbols & Motifs
Golf
Throughout the novel, the game of golf is a motif of fulfillment and contentment. Both of the protagonists have a deep and distinct relationship with the sport. Josephine Doyle has “grown up on a golf course, work[s] in a pro shop, and spen[ds] her days teaching proper techniques to customers” (3). The sport is a defining aspect of her life (3). Golf has always been a way for Josephine to engage with her world and community in the present, to believe in herself, and to invest in others. Being on golf courses, watching golf, and running the Golden Tee are thus forms of fulfillment for her character.
For Wells Whitaker, golf saved him from his tumultuous adolescence and allowed him to believe in himself. When Buck Lee discovered Wells at the local golf course where Wells was working as a teenager, he assumed the role of Wells’s mentor, coach, and guide. Golf offered Wells a new perspective on himself and on his future. His failing career at the start of the novel therefore triggers Wells’s waning self-confidence and heightening despair. Without golf, Wells doesn’t know who he is or what makes him happy. Rediscovering his love for the sport with Josephine’s help accelerates his redemption and personal growth journeys by reminding Wells what he cares about and who he is.
Josephine’s Sign
Josephine’s “Wells’s Belle” sign is symbolic of loyalty. For as long as Wells can remember, Josephine has been on the sidelines of his Florida matches with her championing sign. The sign is evidence of Josephine’s “steadfast and smiling” (7) devotion to Wells’s life and professional career. She doesn’t stop attending his games and doesn’t give up on him even when he stops believing in himself. When he tears the sign in half at the novel’s start, Wells is actively questioning and testing Josephine’s loyalty. At the novel’s end, the sign resurfaces when Josephine appears at the Masters. The sign reminds Wells that Josephine has been a constant in his life for many years.
Golden Tee Pro Shop
Josephine’s family’s Golden Tee pro shop is symbolic of ambition. Her grandfather opened the shop in the 1960s and it’s been in the family ever since. It is an essential facet of how Josephine understands herself in the context of the past. At the same time, managing and running the shop in the present grants Josephine a defined sense of the future. She’s determined to resurrect and update the establishment to sustain her family’s legacy in the region and in the golfing world. Therefore, when the hurricane damages the shop, Josephine’s goals and dreams momentarily falter. In turn, when she renovates, rebuilds, and reopens the Golden Tee, she is actively pursuing her ambitions and realizing her dreams.
Josephine’s Toenail Polish
Josephine’s toenail polish is symbolic of encouragement and support. Josephine is initially embarrassed to remove her socks and shoes when the medic comes to inspect her injuries after the golf cart runs over her foot. However, when Wells sees that Josephine has painted “Wells’s Belle” on her toenails, he realizes how invested Josephine is in his life and his success. He later tells Evelyn and Jim Doyle that “her toes reminded [him] that [...] [h]aving Josephine on [his] side is more like having a whole army” (277-78). This revelation in turn inspires Wells to refocus on the golf course and to succeed at his goals for both his and Josephine’s sakes. Therefore, Josephine’s seemingly innocuous nail polish revives Wells’s spirit and courage. This is in large part because her nail polish is an extension of Josephine’s innately buoyant, positive character and thus a manifestation of her refusal to give up on Wells.
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