53 pages • 1 hour read
Steven RowleyThe Guncle Abroad
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2024A 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
Hot Chocolate
Throughout The Guncle Abroad, Patrick seeks to teach Grant and Maisie about being more open to new experiences and new people. He attempts to use his knowledge and experience to show them a new world across Europe with the hopes that these lessons will open their minds to accepting Livia into their family. One of the ways in which Patrick seeks to accomplish this goal is by introducing his niece and nephew to new foods and drinks in Europe, such as hot chocolate in Paris. This hot chocolate is a symbol of the benefits of change.
Both Maisie and Grant are skeptical when Patrick declares that this hot chocolate is the best in the world but are pleasantly surprised when it is better than they believed, proving Patrick to be right:
It was not runny, or tepid, or bland, needing marshmallows or Cool Whip or other such nonsense to make it palatable. No, this drink was rich, molten, and looked like an actual flood of melted chocolate might, mixed with just a hint of milk (73).
This sensory description conveys the delight in store for people who accept change. Grant and Maisie know hot chocolate to be a fun drink, made with instant powder and adorned with whipped cream. It is a simple treat, and they do not view it as something special and rich. By showing the kids that a drink that they think is plain can be so much more, Patrick tries to demonstrate that they can be surprised. He wants them to know that if they close their minds, they will miss out on special opportunities in places they may not expect to find them. Patrick understands that the children are wary of Livia, but hopes that they can come to see the benefits of having her as a mother.
Maisie’s Highlights
Maisie is a young teenager in The Guncle Abroad and often struggles to feel accepted among her family. She resists Livia as her new mother and tries to find ways to rebel. She does this by pushing back against her father’s plans to remarry, and this is reflected in her decision to add highlights to her hair. These highlights are a motif highlighting The Tension of Aging, as it garners Maisie attention and places her in the awkward space between childhood and adulthood during Livia’s bachelorette party. Palmina, Clara, and Livia all notice Maisie’s new hair and compliment her, making Maisie feel accepted in this group of women. However, this praise comes from someone she does not trust, and she struggles to fully accept Livia’s praise: “Maisie betrayed her own feelings for Livia and beamed as all three women fussed over her hair. And in the low sun that shone sideways through the limo’s windows, her hair did look lighter, but the attention was all a bit much” (183). Maisie cannot navigate this new social situation, as she does not fully understand her emotions, a consequence of her teenage identity. She both craves to be older, as seen by her love of the attention, while also holding on to her childhood, not wanting the memory of her mother to fade more.
Palmina’s Scarf
Palmina’s scarf, which she uses to bind Patrick and Emory’s hands together during their wedding in place of rings, is a symbol of unity forged through love. Patrick and Emory love each other, and it is through their love that they grow and develop as people. Patrick is hesitant to commit to Emory, afraid that his younger partner will stop loving him and leave him as Patrick ages. This creates distance between them as Patrick breaks up with Emory to avoid potential pain. When Patrick finally accepts that Emory truly loves him, they marry, and are finally truly united. Palmina “unties the silk scarf from her neck, stepping forward to lash it around the grooms’ wrists until they were bound tightly together, the tigers of the scarf’s pattern running circles around their arms” (275). The scarf physically unites Emory and Patrick and symbolizes the fact that they are now truly together. The scarf ends Patrick’s longstanding reluctance to be truly committed to another in the aftermath of Joe’s tragic death. This is the beginning of a new era in Patrick’s life, in which he can depend completely on another person and not worry about being alone. As a placeholder for wedding bands, the scarf represents the emotional union of Patrick and Emory’s love.
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By Steven Rowley
