69 pages • 2 hours read
Victor LavalleThe Changeling: A Novel
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2017A 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
Apollo’s Mantra
Content Warning: The source material for this study guide includes depictions of domestic violence, child abuse, and the death of a child. It also describes instances of parents attempting to kill their children and references death by suicide and racist attitudes.
In Chapter 5, young Apollo comes up with a personal mantra—“I am the god, Apollo” (19)—to overcome his fear of being judged and excluded, especially out of snobbishness or racism. The mantra becomes a recurring motif throughout the novel, giving Apollo the courage to face overwhelming situations with grace and resolve. Apollo repeats it to himself when he tries to convince Emma not to leave for Brazil; he thinks it when he makes the daring move of cutting the red string around Emma’s wrist. Apollo also regularly repeats this mantra when meeting homeowners at estate sales or while trying to make deals to resell books.
This motif is significant because it functions as a story Apollo tells himself to change his mindset about the world. Knowing that he has been named after a deity of Greek mythology, he self-identifies as that god in an attempt to embody his noble characteristics. Apollo’s habit of repeating this mantra to himself foreshadows the importance of the stories people tell themselves to survive difficult or challenging moments in their lives, such as the story Apollo tells himself about his father’s return to their apartment, as well as the story he tells himself about defeating the troll to save his son.
Books
The Changeling makes multiple intertextual references over the course of the story. However, books also play a symbolic role; they represent the inner lives and intimate relationships of people. One title that constantly reappears throughout the narrative is the children’s book Outside Over There by American author Maurice Sendak. The book first appears among Brian West’s belongings in the Improbabilia box. Apollo wonders why his father would send him all these things and later interprets them as tangible reminders of Brian’s love for Apollo. Apollo not only resolves to share the book with his son when he is born, but he also develops a lifelong love for literature, believing it will connect him to his lost father. After he finishes high school, he is inspired to become a book collector when he reads the memoir Confessions of a Literary Archaeologist by Carlton Lake.
Books have such a strong influence on Apollo’s life that they function as a father surrogate, shaping the direction of Apollo’s life. Early on in Apollo’s career, when he finds the artifacts of an elderly couple’s romance in the marginalia of their book collection, he is once again inspired by books and stories—this time, he decides to start and raise a family.
However, books also serve as a venue for dark, hidden truths to surface. When Apollo first meets William as a potential buyer for his rare copy of Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, William explains that he wants to buy the book to reconcile with his estranged wife. However, after the book is sold, Apollo discovers that it has been used as a tool for revenge against William’s wife Gretta, exposing William’s antagonism. Similarly, Lillian tells Apollo that Outside Over There actually moved Brian West to thoughts of violence against Apollo. Books, like stories themselves, are reflections of life’s truths, including its darkness and troubles.
Red String
The red string is a symbol of hope in the novel. It first appears tied around Emma Valentine’s wrist when she returns from her journeys in Brazil. Emma claims to have received the red string from a witch who promised that if Emma made three wishes, they would all come true by the time the string fell off. Apollo tries to subvert the witch’s power by cutting the string off himself. This is an act of hope that Emma will accept his promise to fulfill all her wishes without knowing what they are.
Later, the red string reappears when Apollo goes looking for Emma after he believes that she has killed their son, Brian. Apollo ties the string around his middle finger, making a single wish with it. He chooses not to disclose this wish to Dana, but he implies that his wish is to kill Emma in retribution. When Apollo and William set out for North Brother Island, Apollo throws his wedding ring into the East River, telling himself that his wish is his only remaining vow. On the island, Gayl takes the string from Apollo’s finger while Gayl’s mother tells him about Emma’s good character. This symbolically undoes Apollo’s promise and makes him hope that everything Gayl’s mother is telling him is true. When Apollo and Emma finally reunite, she notices the red string, and he is ashamed as he admits the truth about his wedding ring. Emma tells him to hold on to the string until he can get the real ring back. The string finally disappears as Apollo rescues the real Brian Kagwa from the belly of the troll.
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By Victor Lavalle
