65 pages • 2 hours read
Jodi PicoultMercy
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1996A 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
Carrymuir
The residents of Wheelock, Massachusetts, can trace their origins back to Carrymuir in Scotland. As per the town’s history, the MacDonald clan from Carrymuir were relocated to America in the 1700s by their chief, Cameron MacDonald I, who traded his participation in the Battle of Culloden for his kinsmen’s safety.
The history of Carrymuir and the specific story surrounding Cameron MacDonald I are both significant. Carrymuir’s connection to Wheelock’s history is referenced multiple times over the course of the book, with Angus having frequent dreams and visions of the Scottish town. The townspeople of Wheelock being able to trace their lineage over multiple centuries back to Carrymuir underlines the importance placed on ancestral history and familial ties. Similarly, the story of Cameron MacDonald I arranging safe passage for his people while risking his life highlights the responsibilities of the head of the clan.
These are the reasons that lead to Cam becoming police chief, a position inherited across generations and one that comes with the responsibility to protect and serve. Both Camerons are expected to do things for their people they don’t necessarily want to do as individuals but must by virtue of their position and the responsibilities it carries. Thus, the recurring motif of Carrymuir and its history highlights the theme of The Weight of Familial Duty.
Flowers and Bonsai
Flowers and bonsai are both recurring symbols within the book. Allie owns a flower shop, while bonsai is Mia’s talent. They are both telling of each character’s respective personalities and the nature of their romantic relationships. Allie longs for romance and passion in her relationship, mirroring the symbolism of gifting a loved one flower. Furthermore, Allie and Cam appear to have a picture-perfect marriage, akin to how flowers are generally considered beautiful.
Mia, on the other hand, has lived a life where she has not received the kind of affection she has always longed for, particularly from her parents. Seeking but not receiving affection has led her to curb her desires and expectations, seen in how she tells Cam that she has had sex with but never “made love” to a man before. This is reflected in the bonsai, trees that are contracted in their growth and not allowed to reach their full potential. There are elements of both artifice and restriction that exist in the practice of bonsai, and these are reflected in the relationship Mia has with Cam as well—an affair conducted under the cover of lies, born out of each individual’s restricted and thus-far unfulfilled desires.
Different flowers and plants also carry symbolism within the story itself. Allie and Mia both send Cam bouquets with specific flowers as a way to symbolically communicate their feelings. Mimosa blossoms shrink away from Mia’s touch, indicating that she has sinned; similarly, the burning of morning glory foreshadows Angus’s death.
The Stained-Glass Panel
The stained-glass panel is an important symbol, appearing at the very beginning of the book. The Prologue features conflict within a relationship—foreshadowing one of the book’s central themes, The Dynamics of Power in Romantic Relationships—and the stained-glass panel is a representation of this conflict.
Over the course of the story, it is revealed that Cam buys the stained-glass panel as a gift for Allie when he feels guilty about his affair with Mia. However, rather than push thoughts of Mia out of his head, the panel serves as a permanent reminder of both women in Cam’s life: The daffodils that take center stage reflect Allie, who works with flowers, while the blue background is the same shade as Mia’s eyes, which drew Cam to her from the moment they first met. That the panel is made of glass is a further reference to the fragility of relationships. Cam specifically notes the panel’s fragility when he hands it over to Allie, and Allie later reflects on how that should have served as a forewarning of what was to happen to their marriage. The fact that the art of the panel is created by “staining” the glass is also a reference to sin or immorality, referencing the affair between Cam and Mia.
Initially, Allie keeps the panel aside, choosing not to sell it along with everything else related to Cam in the garage sale, as she still loves him. However, when they talk through things later, Allie breaks the panel in a fit of anger. This represents how the face and nature of Allie and Cam’s relationship has changed irrevocably.
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By Jodi Picoult
