40 pages • 1 hour read
Liane MoriartyThree Wishes
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2003A 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
Bystander Anecdotes
The narrator begins by speculating about how outsiders might interpret a given situation if they know nothing about the people involved. The rest of Three Wishes is peppered with vignettes offered by observers who witness some random activity by the siblings at different periods in their lives. The observers come from all categories: old, young, male, female, happy, and sad. They generally react in a positive way to the exuberant trio who are living life at the tops of their voices. Conversely, some react in alarm when putting themselves in Maxine’s place as the harried mother of the wild bunch. The observers add an interesting dimension to the novel because they have no framework for interpreting the Kettle girls’ reactions to anything. The reader becomes aware of the context of each observer’s life but is also aware of the circumstances going on in the Kettle household at the same time. We are treated to an inside-outside view of the situation.
The opening observations dovetail neatly with the observations in the Epilogue because some of the same individuals are involved in both sequences. Olivia, the waitress who served the fondue meal, arrives on the beach just in time to see the triplets celebrating their parents’ remarriage. The man on a blind date in the Prologue becomes the wedding photographer and Cat’s new love interest by the end of the story. These two observers are transformed into participants who connect with the siblings and become not merely onlookers but characters in the story by the time the Epilogue concludes.
Babies
Babies feature prominently in Three Wishes, but they are rarely a symbol of sweetness and light. Rather, they are a source of contention by their very existence as well as by their behavior. The most obvious example is the triplets themselves because the reader is brought into their story from the moment of their conception. The fractious relationship among the sisters begins practically from birth as they all start screaming to be fed. In later chapters, they bite one another. Meanwhile, Maxine is faced with the formidable task of raising three unruly girls who frequently exhibit awful behavior toward one another and act even more immature than their youth would suggest.
As adults, Lyn and Cat conduct a covert sibling rivalry over which one has a child and which does not. Cat’s quest to have a baby devolves into an obsession that becomes even more dangerous after her miscarriage. Her most egregious example of destructive behavior is when she stabs the pregnant Gemma in the abdomen after being denied Gemma’s baby. The triplets aren’t the only example that babies breed conflict. At one point, Maxine describes Maddie as a demon. Maddie, herself, slaps another baby who covets her book. Kara, though a teenager, is also a source of irritation to both Lyn and Michael by her rude behavior and irrational rage. Even newborn Sal is described by his parents as a baby from hell because of his fussiness. His very existence is the ultimate source of contention and the impetus for the fondue fork debacle.
Family Celebrations
A number of major holidays and family celebrations are marred by catastrophe in Three Wishes. The book begins with the worst of these during the triplets’ birthday party when Cat stabs Gemma with a fondue fork. However, this isn’t an isolated incident, as many other celebrations are fraught with drama. Christmas, in particular, seems to be a trying time for the Kettle family. As children, the girls are torn between going to a waterslide park with their father or staying home with their mother. Triplet loyalties are divided when Lyn chooses to stay home with Maxine. She recalls the experience bitterly because Maxine was just as glum with Lyn there as she would have been if the girl had gone away.
Far more traumatic is the Christmas celebration that takes place shortly after Dan and Cat start having marital problems. The holiday is laden with complaints from Maxine because she isn’t hosting the festivities. Her carping and nagging are hard enough to bear, but there’s more drama in store. Dan and Cat are only beginning to get along when Charlie arrives with his sister Angela in tow. The recriminations and accusations following this revelation continue for weeks afterward. Maddie’s second birthday also presents some unexpected consequences. The atmosphere is already tense because Gemma and Cat have planned their adoption scheme. At the same time, Michael is pestering Lyn about why she didn’t confide her panic attacks to him instead of Hank. As a grand finale, Lyn collapses with fever and learns that she’s contracted chickenpox.
The only peaceable festivity in the book comes at the very end when Maxine and Frank remarry. The photographer manages to capture a rare photo of everyone getting along. It’s a well-earned break from the chaos and drama that usually define Kettle family gatherings.
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By Liane Moriarty
