53 pages • 1 hour read
India HoltonThe Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2021A 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
Cecilia’s Hair
Cecilia’s hair is a symbol of love and desire, with her hair exercising a particular power over Ned. In their first physical altercation outside of the Wisteria Society meeting, Ned “smiled against [Cecilia’s] hair. And although Cecilia was not afraid, inexplicably she began to warm” (61)—a moment that demonstrates their romantic attraction and foreshadows their union at the novel’s end. This connection occurs again when Ned looks at Cecilia after the kidnapping of the Wisteria Society. He notes, “Her hair was only barely secured in its braided crown…Suddenly, Ned realized he was the one in peril” (97). The looseness of the hair represents Cecilia’s growing feelings toward Ned, as the closer her hair comes to being undone, the closer Cecilia becomes to Ned.
An important moment in Ned and Cecilia’s relationship is their night in the hotel together. When Ned removes her hairpins, “sending her hair in a luscious deluge almost to her waist” (120), he almost has to leave the room. His feelings for Cecilia nearly come out, tempting him to either confess how he feels or kiss her, though he refuses to do either when she’s inebriated. Similarly, when they have sex after the battle against Morvath, she takes her hair down, and when Ned looks at her “long rosy hair […] he almost expired on the spot from adoration” (248), further illustrating the symbolic connection between Cecilia’s hair and Ned’s romantic feelings for her.
Cilla’s Portraits
Cilla’s portraits are symbolic of her continuing influence in Cecilia’s life and a signal of those who are loyal to Cecilia. For example, Miss Darlington has a portrait of Cilla that she wears around her neck, even “wish[ing] for a moment that she might speak once more with the woman whose portrait and lock of golden hair rested within” (8). As Miss Darlington raises Cecilia in Cilla’s place, she yearns to hear Cilla’s advice on how she would like her daughter raised. Ned picks up a portrait of Cilla in Miss Dole’s house. He thinks, “The portrait was done in oils, and its artist had possessed enough talent to capture the wildness of the woman’s smile, but not enough for the sadness in her sky-colored eyes” (67). Ned demonstrates a familiarity with Cilla, as he knew her as a child, and his connection with the portrait is clear in his understanding of Cilla, her appearance, and her emotional disposition.
Frederick carries his own portrait of Cilla and even “showed Cecilia the tiny portrait it contained of Cilla Bassingthwaite” (181). Frederick supports Cecilia, as he does not approve of Morvath. He even wishes to marry Cecilia, though Cecilia does not wish for that. Frederick, though, as a Bassingthwaite, is a close relative of Cilla, so her influence lives on in him too. Alex O’Riley has his own portrait of Cilla: “He took a ring from his thumb, tipping back its ruby to reveal a secret compartment wherein was set the portrait of Cilla Bassingthwaite” (218). Alex stole the ring from Ned to prevent him crying over a lost love, which, although he is mistaken about who Cilla is, reveals that Alex is a loyal and trustworthy character.
Finally, Cecilia has a portrait of Cilla in her bedroom, and when she and Ned become intimate, “her painted eyes focused directly on [Ned] as if she knew what he was planning to do” (247). In uniting with Cecilia, Ned fulfills Cilla’s wish that he would always protect Cecilia loyally.
Books/Literature
Books and literature are important motifs in the novel, helping to illustrate The Quest for Independence against Societal Constraints that Cecilia undergoes. Literature provides safety and security to Cecilia. From her childhood, she enjoys reading and maintains the habit into adulthood, finding a greater interest in reading than she does in having pirate adventures. Books are a source of emotional comfort to Cecilia. Everywhere she goes, she takes a book with her as a source of comfort in times of stress: “Cecilia brought out the emergency book she kept in a secret pocket of her dress” (102). Books also protect her physically: When Constantinopla shoots her, her book saves her, as “she crawled to shelter behind a sofa and then stared at her book, lying where it had fallen from her hand. It bore a gaping black bullet hole” (46).
Cecilia’s changing reading habits also reflect her growing sense of independence. When Cecilia faces down Morvath, she throws her wounded copy of Wuthering Heights on the floor, saying, “I have evolved beyond the point of wanting to read it” (223). This is significant, as Morvath has always taken enormous pride in his supposed Brontë heritage. In publicly rejecting a Brontë book, Cecilia thus asserts her independence, freeing herself from her father’s control once and for all.
