Mistakes We Never Made

Cars operate as a recurring motif throughout the novel. They are a throughline between Emma’s past and present, connecting her to her memories with her father and her future with Finn.

It’s clear early in the novel that Emma knows a lot about cars, which are first mentioned when she bonds with Sybil’s father over the Singer Porsche they find in the parking lot. She does not expect it to be Finn’s car, and its early mention foreshadows the significant relationship she will have both with the car and its owner. In fact, it is her only consolation when she realizes that she has to drive with Finn to find her friend: “If I have to chase Sybil, at least I get to do it in a perfect car” (49). Because the car is extremely rare and expensive, with a price tag close to a million dollars, it also characterizes Finn as a highly successful, wealthy businessperson. Like the private jet that Jamie borrows from a friend, this car is one of many symbols of extreme wealth found throughout the novel—a common feature of the romantic comedy genre, which exists in part to offer readers an aspirational fantasy. Part of Emma’s love of cars comes from driving itself, and she comments on “how much [she] miss[es] driving. There’s no need for it in New York” (214). Her love of cars is further apparent when driving the Singer is the prize she chooses for her bet with Finn.

Emma first learned about cars from her father, and she associates many of her memories of them with him. She also links the way in which a car can be an escape with her father’s own departure from her life. For instance, she thinks that “[c]ars are an assurance that no matter how hard it gets, you can always get in and head into the unknown, which is probably why my dad loved them so much” (50-51). One of her most vivid memories of her childhood is watching as the back of her father’s car drove away from her, her sister, and her mom. The author accentuates her relationship with her father through cars by having a car crash be what brings Emma and her father together again. Their interactions with the Singer at the repair shop show how much Finn trusts Emma, a symbolic transition between linking her father with cars and linking Finn with them. Emma appreciates the trust he puts in her and his knowledge that she needs a moment alone with her dad.