50 pages • 1 hour read
The Ex
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Symbols & Motifs
WhereAmI App
Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of suicide.
The fictional location-sharping app WhereAmI appears throughout the novel as a recurring motif related to the theme of heartbreak. The novel depicts location-sharing apps as a violation of privacy that fuels Anna’s obsession with Joel in “The Ex” chapters and prevents her from moving on. The app is introduced as a tool Anna uses to follow Joel “anywhere he goes via GPS with startling accuracy” (28). Although they are living in New York City, one of the largest and most crowded cities in the world, the app allows Anna to “narrow in on Joel’s location” (56). The app both reflects and exacerbates the intense nature of Anna’s obsession with Joel, creating a sense of claustrophobia that reflects Joel’s horror when he discovers Anna is stalking him. These depictions of the app suggest that location-sharing apps can be dangerous in the wrong hands.
The novel also suggests that Anna’s use of the app keeps her from moving on after her breakup with Joel. She recognizes that using the app enables her “obsessing over Joel” (63) and allows her to follow him into situations that upset her, such as when she sees him kissing “Olive,” later revealed to be Unlock all 50 pages of this Study Guide Get in-depth, chapter-by-chapter summaries and analysis from our literary experts.
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