The Other Mrs.

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2020

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Symbols & Motifs

Mouse

Mouse is named by her father, although it is not entirely clear why he gave her the name. The name’s meaning evolves throughout the text, symbolizing the way identities can shift depending on how one is treated and illustrating the way abuse can break down a person. At first, Mouse is simply an affectionate nickname like sweetheart or honey; Mouse’s father compares her to something small and cute. When Fake Mom arrives, Mouse tries to live up to her name and become small, quiet, and nocturnal to avoid the cruel woman’s notice and wrath. However, Fake Mom finds all the negatives in the word mouse, calling her a dirty rodent, which causes Mouse to start disliking the name that had brought her such joy. When Fake Mom disposes of Bert and her babies, the other “rodent” in the house, Mouse, is meant to take this as a warning sign that she could be exterminated next. This act of violence is, ostensibly, the moment Sadie’s personalities split. While Sadie grows, part of her is stuck as Mouse forever, like a mouse in a trap, doomed to relive her trauma until someone releases her.

Cigarettes and Smoking

Cigarettes and smoking are used as a visual shorthand to represent the wild and dangerous Camille, as well as a motif that signals the theme of lies and secrets that pervade the story. Smoking is, stereotypically, a habit connected to sexually provocative women, since cigarettes are considered phallic and are linked to rebellious characters in media. Camille's smoking links her to villains like Cruella de Vil and the Cigarette Smoking Man on The X-Files, as well as to alluring femme fatales like Audrey Horne on Twin Peaks. In addition to Camille, Imogen is also pictured smoking, a nod to classic teenage rebellion.

One of the clear ways that Camille is physically differentiated from Sadie is that, in addition to wearing black clothing, Camille is almost always described as smoking cigarettes. While Will can see this as marking the shift in personas, Otto is not astute enough to realize that the woman smoking a cigarette and urging him to kill the bullies at school is not really his mother but her vengeful and violent alter. Sadie notices that her coat often smells of tobacco but blames it on her chain-smoking receptionist, allowing Camille’s presence to go undetected. Will goes along with this theory, even offering on several occasions to wash Sadie’s coat, but he is aware of what is really happening. Gaslighting Sadie about the cigarette smell in her coat is just one of many examples of the lies and deception that permeate the novel.

Photographs

Photographs make many appearances in the story and represent themes such as the inability to escape the past, family dynamics, and lies and secrets. The first photograph to intrude in Sadie’s life is the picture of Erin that is tucked into Will’s book. Erin has been dead almost two decades, yet her presence continues to torment Sadie, who constantly compares herself to Will's dead fiancée. While this photo is used to characterize Sadie as a jealous person, it also turns out to represent the truth; Morgan planted the photo hoping Sadie would find it and realize that Will is a killer.

Imogen takes pictures of her dead mother that not only reveal how warped their relationship had been but also provide clues about the teen’s involvement in her mother’s death. Sadie breaks Imogen’s trust by telling Will about the photos, but Imogen deletes them, representing her lack of trust in him. After this betrayal, the secret stays between Sadie and Imogen, symbolizing their shared survivor spirit. Finally, Will’s secret about Erin’s death being a murder and not a suicide unravels when Sadie sees a photo of Erin, her mother, and Morgan, revealing that Erin and Morgan were sisters.