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55 pages 1 hour read

Meagan Brandy

Say You Swear (Boys of Avix, #1)

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2022

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Symbols & Motifs

Ocean

Content Warning: This section mentions the death of a parent and a car accident.

Images and descriptions of the ocean repeat throughout the novel. The ocean is a motif that the author uses to represent peace and comfort. It is Arianna’s favorite place because it feels full of possibilities and hope. She particularly loves how “nothing changes” in this setting, while “it’s also never the same” (86). The movement of the water feels both “[s]trong and dominant, yet soft and fragile” (86). Whenever Arianna feels upset or confused or simply needs time to think, she ventures to the beach. The setting helps her feel calm and process complicated emotions. The ocean often assumes human qualities, too, as Arianna feels that it is “welcom[ing] [her] back” whenever she returns to it (318). Water is an archetypal symbol of washing and cleansing. Arianna feels renewed whenever she spends time at the ocean.

Beach House

Arianna and her friends’ beach house is symbolic of friendship. Her, Brady’s, and Cameron’s moms originally “bought [the] beach house together” when they were in college (4). Their lives changed over the years, but they held onto the house “as a spot to always come” back to (4). The house has been their way of staying together and remaining close over time. This is also why they give the house to Arianna and her friends at the start of the novel. Their parents hope that the house will “keep [their] crew close, no matter where life may take [them] after college, as the place did for them” (5). The house is a fixture throughout the novel and consistently offers Arianna, Mason, Brady, Cameron, and Chase a place to meet up and share their lives. Although they do encounter conflicts in this setting, the house is representative of the close relationships that they have built and, thus, of their desire to maintain these connections in the future.

Ring

The ring that Noah gives Arianna when he proposes is symbolic of love. Noah originally found the ring when he was a little boy and was spending time on the beach with his mom. He gave his mom the ring to show her what she meant to him. In Chapter 46, Lori then gives Noah the ring shortly before her death. The gift is her way of showing Noah her pure and lasting love for him. When Noah gives Arianna the ring, he is communicating his love for her and his desire to spend his life with her for the foreseeable future.

Recipe Book

The recipe book that Arianna gives Noah for Christmas at the end of the novel is symbolic of family. Arianna was compiling the enclosed recipes with Lori shortly before her death. Arianna gives the book to Noah to commemorate his familial bond with his late mother after she has passed away. The book is a compilation of all the dishes that Noah and Lori made together when he was growing up. Making this book for Noah reifies Arianna’s investment in his past and her desire to preserve these familial traditions as they start to build a life together in the future.

Lori’s Letter

Lori’s letter to Arianna is symbolic of healing. In the letter, Lori thanks Arianna for “put[ting] life back into [her] boy,” for loving him, and for making him happy (489). Lori uses the letter to show Arianna her appreciation for helping Noah heal and invest in his life again. At the same time, Lori’s heartfelt words awaken Arianna in the wake of her accident and help her remember all that she and Noah shared. The love and gratitude that Lori expresses in the letter lead Arianna to healing, too.

Avix University

Avix University is symbolic of growth and change. At the novel’s start, Arianna is nervous about starting college because she doesn’t want anything to change between her and her friends. She knows that college life will challenge her as an individual and as a friend. Indeed, throughout her first semester on campus, Arianna encounters a network of conflicts that gradually alter how she sees herself, her friendships, and her future. The novel thus uses the setting as a way to exact organic change in the characters’ lives and usher them along their self-discovery journeys.

Music

For Arianna, music is symbolic of self-expression. Whether she is “happy or sad or mad” (23), music always has the power to make her feel better. She has a habit of incorporating lyrics into conversation because she “relate[s] life to lyrics, tone to mood” (23). Some songs might lift her spirits, while others might “leave [her] a soppy mess” (23). No matter what music elicits from her emotionally, Arianna seeks out this art form as a way to understand, process, and express what she’s feeling. This is why Noah gives her the iPod after her accident, too. He knows how Arianna responds to music and hopes that listening to the collected songs will remind her of who she is.

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