59 pages • 1 hour read
Where Butterflies Wander
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Symbols & Motifs
The Family Estate
Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of child death and mental illness.
The family estate is a symbol of How Memory Shapes the Present. The house that Marie’s grandfather lived in is a relic of the past. It remains as stately as ever, with Georgian columns, “wide-plank dark wood floors, a sweeping staircase, [and] a giant iron chandelier overhead” (21). It is preserved just as Marie remembers it from her childhood and still filled with all her grandfather’s old belongings. Marie remains emotionally attached to the home because it carries the memories of her past and her loved ones, and Leo wonders why Marie cannot apply this same logic to the home they lived in with Bee. Marie only sees the property as an opportunity for a fresh start and is troubled by her memories and sense of attachment: She wants to reduce the house to a means to an end.
The cabin on the property symbolizes the ties of love and moral responsibility. Because Marie’s grandfather gave Davina the cabin on the property, Marie’s efforts become riddled with setbacks. Davina is deeply attached to the cabin because it is where she lived with Rosalinda, her second mother. It is the place where she felt safe and loved and where she learned everything she knows about the New Hampshire wilderness. Davina’s attachment to her cabin is so strong that she refuses to leave it until she is legally obligated to do so, and even then, her PTSD prevents her from fully processing the loss. A fire destroys the cabin, which is devastating at first, but it brings renewal and a new chapter in everyone’s lives. The destruction of the cabin by fire is a metaphor for Davina’s own injuries in the explosion and the transformation of her life that followed.
Butterflies
Butterflies are a key symbol in the novel, emphasized by the novel’s title, which highlights the significance of butterflies in the narrative. They are used to portray Death and the Grieving Process as well as the eventual sense of hope and renewal that the family starts to feel. Butterflies also symbolize How Memory Shapes the Present, as trying to outrun Bee’s memory only seems to bring her closer. Penelope notices a blue and white butterfly the moment the family arrives on the property and follows it all the way to Davina’s cabin. Although the initial experience of meeting Davina is scary, Penelope looks back at this moment and sees that Bee was leading her to something beautiful. Davina gives Penelope a bee balm to attract more butterflies so that Bee is always with her.
Butterflies also have a secondary meaning in the story, which is related to the butterfly effect: “While all this started with us moving here, I feel like we were only a flutter of wings that somehow managed to alter the entire ecosystem—Edward Lorenz’s butterfly effect” (171). Brendon notes how he feels like “the acorn that started the avalanche” and believes that he is responsible for Bee’s death (205). Everything that has happened since is, in Brendon’s view, a negative experience, and after starting the fire, he truly believes that he has ruined everything. Contrastingly, Hannah heals and unfolds with grace during her time in the wilderness: “With her headaches gone and Rock in her life, she’s a caterpillar turned into a butterfly, flittering around, glowing and beautiful” (182).
New Hampshire Wilderness
The New Hampshire wilderness is a constant motif in the story. The novel creates a vibrant setting to show off How Memory Shapes the Present and how nature can be a route to healing. The very first pages detail Rosalinda’s memories of meeting Davina and taking her in, which are clearly some of the most precious memories of her life. The moment that Marie and her family move to the woods, Marie is inundated with memories of the past, including the smell of her grandfather, the things he used to say, and the innocence of those younger days. The area is also filled with butterflies, which Penelope knows all about and which she sees as manifestations of her sister. It is like Bee is all around the family in this place, and although Marie was attempting to escape her memory, she simply followed them there. The forest path that leads to Davina’s cabin has a magical feel, almost like Penelope and Hannah are living in a fairy tale. The wilderness is often personified in the narrative as well: “It sounds wide and lazy, not concerned in the least, as truly powerful things often are” (23).
The landscape is also shown as productive and kind to the humans who live there. Davina lives off the land, tending her own garden and beehives, as well as using natural medicines that are made from various herbs. As soon as Hannah drinks the tincture that Davina provides, it is like she becomes part of the land; she soon starts diving into the river daily, fully immersing herself in nature. All of this heals Hannah’s migraines and her soul. While the family decides in the end to move back to their old home, they have forged a deep connection with the New Hampshire wilderness and think about returning to it.
Literature
Literature is used as a motif in Where Butterflies Wander through many references to other works and through the letters that Hannah writes for the Juliet Club. Marie also recalls how her grandfather often used to quote Roald Dahl and had a hearty sense of humor. The folklore trope of a mysterious witch who lives deep in the woods is used in Where Butterflies Wander to demonstrate The Problem of Superficiality and judging someone based on appearance or past associations. Penelope and Hannah both see the fairy-tale-like atmosphere of the land, through sources like the river, Davina’s tincture, and the butterflies that roam the landscape. After seeing Davina for the first time, Penelope is reminded of all the stories she knows about witches and wolves and other dangerous things that live in forests.
Hannah is part of a community of people who answer letters written to Juliet’s tomb in Verona, and her perception of love and relationships is largely based on classic literature like works by William Shakespeare and Emily Brontë. When Hannah replies to the letters, she does so having never experienced love except through the lens of a well-told story. She and Davina share a love of classic literature, which is part of what creates their bond with one another.
Fire
Fire is important in Where Butterflies Wander, symbolizing both destruction and renewal, as it acts through fate and chance while also ushering in the grieving process multiple times in Davina’s life. Davina reflects on this, thinking to herself, “Fire, the great destructor of my life” (168). The first fire Davina experienced was when she was deployed as a nurse in Afghanistan in the early 2000s. The truck she was in exploded, and she was the only survivor but was left with severe burns that took off a portion of her facial structure. It took years for Davina to recover and heal, both physically and emotionally, and she continues to experience PTSD from the event. The novel suggests that much of Davina’s wisdom and compassion is a result of this process: She has literally “come through” the idiomatic fire.
When Brendon lights her cabin on fire, Davina’s memory of the truck explosion comes flooding back, and she forgets that she was evicted by a judge. This fire represents the climax of the novel’s conflict, driving its subsequent resolution. The Egide family tries to put out the cabin fire, but their efforts prove to be futile. Again, this fire is a symbol of renewal as well as destruction. Setting the fire is Brendon’s biggest mistake and one that he is given the opportunity to redeem himself of by Davina, who keeps Brendon’s secret and forgives him. Although Davina loses her cabin, she also gains a new home, and the support of the community is overwhelming. From the experience, Marie learns how little material possessions matter and experiences a sort of spiritual renewal in the wake of her daughter’s death.
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