53 pages • 1 hour read
Katherine CenterHello Stranger: A Novel
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2023A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Symbols & Motifs
Art and Creativity
Content Warning: This guide section references medical conditions, the loss of a parent, and mental health conditions.
Art is tied to Sadie’s sense of self-worth. She says, “[…] the truest thing I knew about myself was this: I was always happy when I was making things” (85). Yet, Sadie has struggled to prove herself as an artist since announcing to her father that she chose art over medicine. Making it to the finals of the portrait contest symbolizes a significant step into becoming a famous, successful artist and finally proving to her family and friends that she can survive and thrive as an artist. Her diagnosis compromises her artistic and technical skills, forcing her to redefine her approach to creativity. Sadie's struggle with prosopagnosia raises questions regarding the nature of art, namely whether it is concerned with physical precision or something more abstract.
Initially, Sadie believes that her creative career is predicated on her ability to accurately capture the intricacies of faces, a skill necessary for realistic portrayal. When her health condition makes this impossible, she must reconsider how and, more importantly, why she creates art. This transition symbolizes Sadie’s investigation of art as not merely a reproduction of what is seen but also an expression of what is felt and understood. As Sadie’s art evolves into more of an emotional interpretation than visual correctness, it becomes a more authentic representation of her.
Creativity symbolizes Sadie’s Resilience Through Overcoming Challenges and adaptability as she is determined to continue creating despite her condition. Her ability to find new ways of engaging with her art represents the importance of innovation and flexibility in overcoming life’s challenges. By finding ways to express herself creatively despite her limitations, Sadie demonstrates that art is not just about producing a product but also about capturing emotions and perspectives that transcend physical boundaries. This becomes a metaphor for personal growth as she explores new neural pathways of creativity and grows as an artist and a person. This exploration turns intimate when she practices her latest techniques on Joe, touching his face to memorize his features. The practice forces vulnerability from both Joe and Sadie as the art becomes a medium for exploring their growing attraction. Thus, art and creative expression bring Sadie closer to herself and others.
Faces
The novel’s title, Hello, Stranger, alludes to facial recognition's importance to the plot and its thematic explorations. Faces represent not only how Sadie identifies others but also her livelihood. As a portrait artist, she specializes in capturing the nuances of humanness through faces. She explains, “The face is where the emotions are, and where the story lies, and where the heart of the whole thing happens” (73-74). However, her sudden inability to recognize faces, including her own, becomes a personal crisis; she feels disconnected from the world and struggles with the fear of losing her career and identity as an artist. The faces she once relied on to navigate her world are now scrambled puzzles, symbolizing her challenges in finding her place in the world. Moreover, being unable to see herself makes her feel lonely and lost. Facial recognition is an essential tool for how people relate to one another. For Sadie, faces represent a familiar, dependable means of connecting with others, a skill she has honed through her art. Losing the ability to recognize faces throws her into a world where she feels disconnected and isolated, creating awkward external social interactions and internal emotional turmoil. Recognizing faces had been Sadie’s anchor to reality, a way to ground herself in her relationships and work. Without it, she questions her future as an artist and her ability to function in society.
The inability to recognize faces is a metaphor for people failing to truly "see" one another and themselves. Sadie's prosopagnosia forces her to look beyond superficial appearances and consider the more important parts of what makes people human. She reflects that “Maybe there was another way of seeing” (155). She realizes recognizing someone is also about their actions, words, and presence. This shift in perspective is central to her growth, as it forces a paradigm shift in how she views interacting with people. Faces, in this sense, symbolize the limitations of relying solely on appearance and the importance of seeing people for who they are. The symbolism of faces extends to Sadie's romantic journey. Her struggle to recognize Joe, also Dr. Oliver Addison, underscores the novel's Exploring Identity Beyond External Appearance theme as she finds true love through emotional rather than visual connection. Through her journey with prosopagnosia, Sadie learns that recognizing someone, or herself, is not just about seeing a face but also about understanding the soul beneath it. This transformation allows her to redefine her art and relationships, emphasizing the importance of seeing beyond physical appearances.
Peanut
Peanut, Sadie’s loyal dog, symbolizes emotional support, unconditional love, and stability during her crisis. As Sadie faces the unexpected diagnosis of prosopagnosia, a condition that impairs her ability to recognize faces, Peanut becomes a constant presence that provides both physical and emotional comfort. Luckily, she can still see Peanut’s face, which soothes her when life feels altogether disorienting and unfamiliar. Peanut, a gift from her mother, symbolizes Sadie’s connection to her mom. Besides her roller skates, Peanut is the only tangible thing Sadie has from her mother after her death. She says Peanut is her “[…] dog, soulmate, and only real family” (26). The peace and companionship he provides remind Sadie of a happier time when she lived in the comfort and safety of her mother’s love.
Peanut represents the steadfast companionship that Sadie relies on as her world becomes increasingly disorienting. Throughout the novel, as Sadie struggles with the impact of her condition, she feels safe in Peanut's presence. Unlike her interactions with people, which grow complicated and uncertain, Peanut’s behavior remains consistent, predictable, and reassuring. This contrasts with Sadie's confusion in her human relationships, showing how animals can provide emotional support in ways that transcend language or appearance. Peanut’s presence symbolizes the unconditional love and loyalty that Sadie craves from those around her but often finds lacking in her human relationships. Peanut’s sudden illness facilitates Sadie and Dr. Addison’s meet-cute, forcing them into subsequent interactions. Joe, an animal lover, also tends to Peanut as he knows how much he means to Sadie. Peanut symbolizes the deep bond of human and animal connection, and he stabilizes Sadie’s emotional state when she needs it most.
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By Katherine Center
