69 pages • 2 hours read
Maureen Johnson13 Little Blue Envelopes
Fiction | Novel | YA | Published in 2005A 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
Letter Writing
Letter writing is a recurring motif throughout the novel, helping to convey Ginny’s coming-of-age story and her process of self-discovery through travel. Aunt Peg’s letters to Ginny appear at regular intervals, characterizing Peg, outlining the stages of Ginny’s trip, and describing Peg’s reasons for selecting each destination. Peg’s letters move the plot along, providing Ginny with the guidance and motivation to move from one place to the next. The letters also underscore Ginny’s grieving process, as Peg’s letters reveal more about her illness and finally force Ginny to fully come to terms with the fact of Peg’s death.
The author plays with the motif of letter writing by including letters written by Ginny as well. After going out to the bar with Keith, Ginny writes her first letter home to her best friend, Miriam. She sends a few other letters home to Miriam over the course of her travels. There is a contrast between the characteristics of Ginny that are revealed in her letters versus the characteristics she displays in her actions and her internal thoughts throughout the rest of the narrative. In her letters to Miriam, Ginny is snarky and playful, as when she writes, “But just for fun, let’s review my romantic history, shall we? […] So, as you can see, my chances are incredibly good, given my wide appeal and experience” (70). In Ginny’s letters home to Miriam, the author offers another perspective on Ginny’s character, providing insight into her home life and her relationships with her friends. This helps the reader understand Ginny’s coming-of-age process and her experience of Travel as Self-Discovery. The reader sees the confident side of Ginny from her letters, and these moments occur more in her in-person interactions as the novel unfolds.
In another twist on the motif of letter writing, Ginny writes a letter to Aunt Peg at the end of the novel. In this letter, the author reinforces Ginny’s newfound confidence and self-assuredness by allowing Ginny to voice her anger with and forgiveness for Peg. This letter also gives Ginny the chance to express her new belief in her abilities and her intention to go home.
Art and Artists
Johnson uses the motif of art and artists to explore the theme of The Power of Artistic Expression from a variety of angles. Within the motif of art and artists, the author includes iterations on the mentor-student relationship, the artist’s perspective, and the archetype of the creative but flighty artist.
A highlight of Peg’s initial trip through Europe is her visit to Mari Adams in Edinburgh. Peg describes having admired Mari since college and calls Mari “the Master” (92). Later, when Peg’s paintings are being sold, Cecil claims that Peg’s work is being compared favorably with Mari’s. In many ways, Peg also acts as a mentor for Ginny, even though Ginny is not a practicing artist. Peg’s “game” challenges Ginny to have new experiences and to look at the world in different ways. In both cases, the author explores the importance of the mentor-student relationship in expanding an artist’s perspective. The author asserts that part of the power of artistic expression is art’s ability to expand horizons, and mentorship is a vital component in that process.
The novel features close study of a few famous paintings, two of which are A Bar at the Folies-Bergere by Manet and The Arnolfini Portrait by Jan van Eyck. In the characters’ discussions of both paintings, the perspective of the artist is emphasized. Mari claims that paintings such as these are evidence of the artist’s desire to witness and to be witnessed. The author uses these discussions to reinforce the power of art to start conversations and the power of art to fulfill a universal desire to “remember and be remembered” (112).
Finally, the author plays with the motif of art and artists by exploring the downside of the archetypal artist: a tendency toward forgetfulness, impracticality, or unreliability. Keith calls this “the artist excuse” when he and Ginny are discussing Peg: “She seems to have meant the world to you when you were a kid, and she just left one day without a word. And her entire explanation to you comes in the form of a few very odd little envelopes” (116). The author explores this side of the artistic lifestyle—a resistance to stability and a prioritizing of creative experiences above all else—as a counterpoint to the wonderful, nearly idealized, qualities that Peg has. Through this iteration on the motif of art and artists, the author tempers the concept of the power of artistic expression by balancing it with the power of reliability and loyalty.
Ginny’s Sneakers
Ginny’s white, squeaky sneakers are a symbol of her status as a tourist, as someone who is from out of town, and as someone who is perhaps out of their element. Ginny sees her sneakers as very uncool because they mark her as an outsider and as someone practical. Ginny bought her white sneakers after seeking advice from a guidebook, something Aunt Peg had warned against. The guidebook recommended sneakers because “you’ll be doing a lot of walking in Europe” and stated that “sneakers are universally acceptable and white ones will keep you cool in the summer” (61). This practical advice appealed to Ginny when she was packing because she’d never been to Europe before and because her cautious personality made her want to pack in the most practical way possible. Once she arrives in London, however, “she hate[s] that sentence […] these shoes ma[k]e her stand out” (61). Ginny remarks on their squeakiness whenever she is feeling out of place or isolated, as in Rome when she is uncomfortable in the heat and wandering lost in the streets. She doesn’t dislike them because they are painful or heavy; she dislikes them because they make her stand out. In this way, Ginny’s sneakers symbolize her caution and shyness.
While the sneakers don’t change, and Ginny never gets new shoes, at some point she “switch[es] off the ‘what am I wearing?’ impulse in her head” (297). This gradual progression toward worrying less about what she is wearing aligns with her gradual growth and confidence as the process of Travel as Self-Discovery runs its course and as she comes into her own throughout her trip.
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By Maureen Johnson
