55 pages • 1 hour read
Wild Love
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Symbols & Motifs
Rose Hill
The idyllic setting of Rose Hill emphasizes the natural beauty of the Canadian wilderness, symbolizing the wildness and unpredictability of life and love that inspires the characters to reinvent themselves anew. Ford has fond memories of his childhood summers spent in Rose Hill. As an adult, the place offers a haven from the pressures and disillusionment of his high-profile life. The remoteness provides peace and comfort, and the ranch is a blank canvas on which he can build a new future. The solace that Ford finds in Rose Hill, away from the prying eyes of the media and the pressures of his public life, offers him the sanctuary to rediscover his passion for music and reflect on his worldview and identity. He says, “That fresh mountain air must give everyone the perspective that city people seem to lack” (6-7). When Cora shows up, Rose Hill unexpectedly becomes the setting for a significant life transformation as Ford becomes both an entrepreneur and a father. He discovers that Rose Hill is an ideal location to learn the ropes of fatherhood since being there puts him close to West, whom he looks to as a role model. Rose Hill also brings Ford and Rosie back together and becomes the setting for their romance.
Rose Hill represents a chance for Ford to develop relationships that aren’t based on his wealth or status, but for Rosie, it symbolizes a return home and to herself. Coming home to the comfort of the landscape and her family provides Rosie with the emotional support and space needed to unpack the emotional baggage she has brought from her previous relationship and career setback. The natural beauty, slower pace, and warm familiarity create an environment conducive to self-reflection and healing. She defends Rose Hill to Ryan, saying, “[I]t’s not perfect but it is mine” (68). Rosie’s bond with Cora and Ford grows with her reconnection to her home, as Rose Hill represents a space to rebuild her confidence and sense of purpose. As Ford and Rosie reconnect with Rose Hill, they witness Cora establishing her own connection with this special place—first as a shelter during a difficult season and later as a home, underscoring The Power of Place and Community.
Rosie’s Diary
As a teenager, Rosie kept a diary as a private space to process her experiences and emotions. After discovering her boyfriend Travis’s betrayal, Rosie tossed the diary out the car window, symbolizing casting off her adolescent self and the pointless worries of teenage life. In reclaiming the diary from the ditch, Ford preserved a part of Rosie that he felt she’d lost and may one day wish to recapture. Keeping the diary safe and secretive for a decade emblemizes Ford’s loyalty and care for Rosie. Ford wearing the key to Rosie’s diary around his neck also represents Ford’s role as a protector of her secrets and a guardian of her heart. This intimate gesture reveals the special place that Rosie holds in his life. Wearing the key demonstrates Ford’s unwavering support and commitment to being a safe space for Rosie’s vulnerabilities, signifying his readiness to unlock and understand her past. When Rosie discovers the key, it strengthens their relationship, showing that Ford values her emotional journey and is willing to be a part of it.
Silver uses the diary as a narrative device, including specific entries in the text to reveal Rosie’s thoughts about Ford. Though she had told herself that they were enemies, the entries reveal a different story. Rosie notes, “I went looking for proof there’s nothing between us, and all I found was evidence to the contrary” (150). The diary becomes a time machine for Rosie to revisit her past and reevaluate her beliefs and assumptions, emphasizing Silver’s thematic engagement with Healing Through Second Chances, as reading the entries offers Rosie another chance to capture those intense feelings. Tearing out the pages symbolizes Rosie’s intent to try again, and allowing Ford to read and respond invites him into the process. Sharing her diary entries with Ford symbolizes immense trust and vulnerability as she opens up about her past, revealing her insecurities and allowing Ford to understand her deeply. This act reflects her readiness to let him into her story entirely.
The Dock
The serene and secluded dock is an inviting place for contemplation and introspection. Rosie is drawn there when she needs to process her thoughts and feelings, escape her life’s chaos, and connect with her innermost self. She goes there when she’s angry with Ford, as she thinks, “[I]f I can sit on the dock and watch the sun go down, maybe I’ll be able to let this day go” (420). Ford also enjoys being on the dock and leaping from it to swim laps in the lake when he needs to release his stress. The dock symbolizes the connection between Rosie and Ford and their shared history. Situated between their respective homes, it’s a halfway place where they meet and spend time together. They laugh and reconnect over memories of jumping off the dock as teens. Most of the significant conversations in the novel occur on or near the pier, and later, it’s where Rosie accepts Ford’s proposal. Rosie playfully shoves Ford off the dock and jumps into the water with him. Leaping from something solid and stable into murky water can be risky, just as entering a relationship comes with uncertainty about the outcome. The dock symbolizes spontaneous joy and the thrill of taking chances, which Ford needs more of in his life and Rosie can provide.
The dock, a place equally important in Ford and Rosie’s past and present, reinforces the novel’s thematic exploration of The Connection Between Trust and Vulnerability that undergirds the lovers’ romantic connection. Throughout the story, Rosie insists that the dock belongs to her, underscoring her independence and perseverance. After her experiences in Vancouver, Rosie searches for autonomy, and claiming the dock as her territory is a way to reclaim her voice and space. When Ford deeds the property containing the dock to Rosie, it symbolizes his desire to respect her autonomy while linking their futures. Giving her the dock represents the merging of Ford’s and Rosie’s lives. Just as the dock anchors one to the shoreline, the dock reminds them of the foundation of trust that they’ve built together. Ford symbolically gives her part of his world by giving her part of his property, signifying the merging of their lives. It is an emblem of his commitment to their relationship and his recognition of Rosie’s need for stability and independence. The constant presence of water symbolizes change and the passage of time. Sitting by the water’s edge reminds them of life’s fluidity and ever-changing nature. The dock represents Ford and Rosie’s past, present, and future, as well as how being rooted in people and places can allow one to withstand anything that may come.
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