60 pages • 2 hours read
Elif ShafakThree Daughters Of Eve
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2016A 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
“The Sinner, the Believer, and the Confused”
Content Warning: This guide section contains discussions of the loss of a child.
The motif of the Sinner, the Believer, and the Confused is an important recurring one in the book. Peri first uses this phrase in a private reflection about herself, Mona, and Shirin; however, Shirin is the one who terms the triad when they first move into the house together. The motif underlines the theme of Navigating Conflict About Belief and Faith. In the context of faith, Shirin is the “Sinner,” as she rejects all aspects of religion and belief, including the attendant morality. She is a free spirit, indulging in alcohol and embracing her sexuality in ways that are considered taboo for Muslim women. Mona stands in contrast as the “Believer.” She is devout in her faith in Allah and willingly chooses to wear the headscarf. Peri stands in between the two as the “Confused,” perpetually existing in a limbo between belief and disbelief. She is not as comfortable with her sexuality as Shirin is, for instance, and does not entirely eschew God; instead, she has a contentious relationship with the higher powers. However, she does not follow the edicts of Islam strictly, leaving her hair uncovered and even engaging in sexual relationships outside of marriage.
By contrasting the “Sinner” with the “Believer,” the motif also links the themes of Conflict and Faith with The Harmful Impact of Shame, Trauma, and Passivity. Specifically, it attaches ideas of morality and shame to religious disbelief or atheism, with Shirin labeled as a “Sinner” in contrast to Mona’s “Believer.” The motif also underlines how the three women’s friendship is based on a foundation of shared faith but differing beliefs. All three are Muslim women who have vastly different relationships with their religion and the idea of God. This being the foundation of their friendship is a result of an orchestration by their professor, Azur, thus underlining the theme of Power Dynamics in Institutional Spaces as well.
The Baby in the Mist
The baby in the mist is an important recurring motif and symbol. Peri describes how it first appears to her as a young girl, and it continues to do so at important moments of her life. Peri describes the vision as that of a young baby boy with a plum-colored stain on his face. Later revelations in the book explain the vision in the context of Peri’s guilt over the death of her twin brother, who choked to death on a plum; Peri was an uncomprehending bystander in the incident.
As a motif, the baby in the mist underscores the theme of Shame, Trauma, and Passivity. It is a symbolic manifestation of Peri’s shame and trauma over her brother’s death, which she was led to believe was a result of her passivity and inaction. Furthermore, the vision’s appearance at a key moment in Peri’s life underlines how the unresolved trauma and resultant shame from her brother’s death impacts how she approaches things and every important decision she makes. The fact that Peri is visited by visions of her brother also reiterates how she exists in a space between belief and disbelief and signifies why she feels connected to Azur. The visions are dismissed by her rational father and demonized by her superstitious mother; it is only the ever-questioning Azur who accepts their existence without shame or censure.
The Polaroid
The Polaroid photograph is an important symbol and plot device in the book. It first appears when it falls out of Peri’s wallet when she is attacked by the “tramp.” It then becomes the subject of conversation at dinner after Deniz finds it and brings it up to the party. Opening up the conversation about Peri’s time at Oxford offers a literal and metaphorical glimpse of her university life and serves as a symbolic and narrative door to her past. Because of the photograph and the memories it jogs of the people in it, Peri finds herself phoning Shirin and Azur, finally confronting the events of her past. The fact that she carries the Polaroid around in her wallet is a sign that she has not forgotten or moved on from these relationships; fittingly, the photograph provides her an avenue to revisit and resolve some of her regrets.
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By Elif Shafak
