59 pages • 1 hour read
The Perfect Son
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Symbols & Motifs
Eggs
Content Warning: The source text includes references to physical assault, psychological manipulation, child abuse, and animal abuse. Additionally, the source material uses offensive terms for mental health conditions throughout, which are replicated in this guide only in direct quotes of the source material.
Scenes of Erika cooking eggs for her family’s breakfast bookend the novel, appearing at both the beginning and the end. Eggs are a motif emphasizing the theme of The Safety and Expectations of Families. On the surface, Erika’s cooking eggs for her family is a domestic act that paints her as a stereotypical stay-at-home mom. She makes her family a hearty breakfast instead of relying on store-bought or processed foods. Additionally, at the beginning of the novel, Jason’s many egg puns paint him as a stereotypically goofy dad. It’s difficult for Erika to take Jason seriously because his humor is so silly, leading her to believe he is harmless.
Eggs also represent the theme of The Threat of Inheritance and Genetics. An embryo is created with an egg and sperm. By making eggs, Erika is emphasizing the fact that Liam has inherited half of her genes—genes that she eventually sees as flawed due to her father’s criminal history. When Erika considers whether Liam killed a newly missing girl at the end of the novel, she burns the eggs she’s been cooking, implying an understanding that her offspring inherited Jason’s violent tendencies.
Erika’s Toyota 4Runner
Erika’s 4Runner is a motif that represents the theme of The Safety and Expectations of Families, symbolizing Erika’s strict adherence to stereotypical family dynamics. She admits that she initially hated the car, seeing it as representing her perceived descent into stay-at-home motherhood, stripping her sense of agency and independence. However, over time, the car “makes [her] feel safe” (20), representing that she has also found comfort in her domestic role.
However, the 4Runner also represents the theme of Appearance Versus Reality, facilitating Jason’s criminal activity by disguising it under a maternal veneer. The 4Runner, and the stay-at-home mother role it represents, allows Jason to continue killing undetected. The vehicle also facilitates Jason’s kidnapping of Olivia and reveals Erika’s first clue that her family may be involved. The police find their most compelling evidence against Liam in the trunk of the car, leading them to arrest Liam for murder. Jason uses the 4Runner to kidnap Olivia and plants evidence there, further undermining the family’s connection to each other. The fact that Jason uses the 4Runner to teach Liam to drive highlights that Liam seemingly inherited his dark behavior from Jason.
Xanax
Throughout the novel, Erika experiences anxiety and panic attacks related to Liam’s behavior. She takes Xanax, a popular medication prescribed to help people with anxiety. In the novel, Xanax is a motif that represents the theme of Appearance Versus Reality. On the surface, it appears that Erika is living in domestic bliss. Jason has a lucrative job, and Liam is a talented and beloved student. However, her true reality is much darker. She lives in constant fear that her son will kill someone, and she feels unsupported by her husband. The Xanax helps her cope but makes it easier for her to ignore the real problems in her life, rather than addressing them. It also raises questions about how trustworthy her perceptions are, given her medication use. McFadden further develops this thematic connection to Erika’s Xanax habit by revealing toward the end of the novel that Jason has been swapping her Xanax with a stronger sedative. with the intent to stage her death as an accidental overdose. Erika never suspects that her Xanax has been tampered with, further undermining her perceptiveness, as well as her credibility as a narrator.
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By Freida McFadden
