56 pages • 1 hour read
The Perfect Shot
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Symbols & Motifs
Basketball
Brian explicitly states that he believes basketball is a sort of symbol or microcosm of the way real life works. He believes that the way someone acts on the court is the way they will act in life—this is embodied by his leadership roles on and off the court. Likewise, basketball becomes a metaphor for teamwork and community over individualism as the team falls apart when they stop trusting each other. Brian’s ability to lead his basketball team and make the right decisions for the common good are skills that make him successful outside of sports as well. He manages to get the basketball players to work better with their non-athlete partners, and everyone supports each other while working on their history projects. He helps Julius when he is arrested and makes the right call when he calls the reporter about the jogger. Basketball gives Brian a framework for understanding the world and others, and his decision to become a coach shows that he cares about helping other students navigate life in the same way.
1913 Leo Frank Case
In The Perfect Shot, the Leo Frank case symbolizes patterns of injustice that continue to repeat themselves. Through learning about this case, Brian realizes that he has a role to play in Mr. Daine’s trial. He can find an analog for each person involved—Mr. Daine is like Mr. Frank, the falsely accused; Mary Phagan, the murder victim, is like Amanda. Soon, Brian realizes that he is like Alonzo Mann, the person who knew the truth all along but was afraid to speak up. Because Alonzo didn’t tell the truth about Phagan’s murderer until it was too late, Frank was convicted and eventually lynched, becoming another victim. Brian realizes that he needs to tell someone about the mysterious jogger he saw on the day of the murders because he doesn’t want Mr. Daine to meet a similar fate. Though Mr. Fortner’s students learn about many historical events that are in danger of repeating themselves, this case is a central motif in the novel, providing guidance for Brian at crucial moments.
Music
Music is a recurring motif in the novel, especially as it represents Amanda’s character and the truth. The day Amanda is killed, she is humming a tune and daydreaming about becoming a musician one day. Julius calls her Songbird because she is always singing sweetly. Some of Brian’s best memories of her are when they would play guitar and sing together in his dad’s workshop. For Brian, Amanda’s music represents truth and beauty. Her voice of reason is continuously in Brian’s mind as he tries to figure out how to make the right choices and treat people the right way after she is dead.
Music also symbolizes new ways of communicating and connecting with others. Brian and Todd grow closer when they make music for their project—Brian plays the guitar, and Todd plays the keyboard. When they first start working together, they are unsure about whether they can trust each other, but when they start making and recording music for their movie, they open up to each other about their pasts. For them, playing music helps them make an unexpected emotional connection.
Music also represents to Brian a time when his family was happier. His father used to build beautiful guitars, but he abandoned the practice after they were stolen at a craft fair. Brian wishes that his dad would go back to doing what he loved instead of just what made the most money for the family. At the end of the novel, Brian asks him to consider making guitars again because he knows it would make him happy. He agrees to think about it, symbolizing a happier future for the family and a new way for the father and son to connect.
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