58 pages • 1-hour read
Delilah Green Doesn't Care
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Symbols & Motifs
Nature
Delilah’s photography often depicts the natural world, and her relationships and sense of self flourish within it. For other characters, time in nature forces introspection or foreshadows future plot developments. Early in the novel, Delilah looks through her portfolio, and one of her favorites depicts two women “both in tattered lace gowns, sticks and leaves tangled in their hair, holding hands and wading into Lake Champlain” (53). Delilah cherishes it for its emotional power. Later, she confesses to Claire that her direction as an artist came from watching Claire screaming in pain after wading into the Bright River, helping her hone her focus on “queer women, turmoil, and water” (165). This indicates that nature can be key to inspiration.
Many relationships develop further when all the characters go camping together. Claire is forced to confront her insecurities and doubts about Josh, turning to Delilah for comfort and reassurance. She and Delilah bond further over playing a prank on Spencer, and Delilah marvels that Iris sits next to her companionably in the aftermath. Astrid almost confesses her doubts about her upcoming wedding around the campfire before retreating to her tent. In the novel’s third act, Delilah adds a third piece for her show at the Whitney: a self-portrait where she stands beneath a waterfall, seeming truly at peace. Delilah quietly recognizes that it is proof of her new relationship to Bright Falls and her love for Claire, though she does not admit this aloud to Astrid. On a smaller scale, Delilah teaches Ruby photography on a walk around the family backyard, resulting in a deeper emotional bond between them. Throughout the text, the natural world adds resonance to the themes of Creativity and Self-Discovery and Love as Security and Healing.
A Home and Its Occupants
Part of Delilah’s dread at returning to Bright Falls is centered around Wisteria House, the home of her lonely childhood. Her relationship to it remains consistent, but how others help her navigate it is a central element of the romance plot. On the night of a scheduled dinner there, Delilah looks at the building and “[feels] a low simmering panic just under each breath” (100), as she associates it entirely with her desperately lonely childhood and Isabel’s refusal to connect with her. Delilah bristles at the freezing temperature and familiar smell, “lavender and bleach, like chemicals attempting to tame something wild” (103). Delilah depends on Claire’s support to walk into the event. Upon her return in the third act, she finds that all traces of her childhood room are gone, but she is still present in Astrid’s journals. This reflects that while her stepmother remains completely disinterested, Astrid has always secretly sought a different relationship between them.
These elements seem to reflect Isabel’s frosty personality and obsession with order and cleanliness. Delilah’s dread at Wisteria House contrasts with her instant comfort in Claire’s store, which she loved as a child, and she is complimentary of the redesign and its comfortable furniture. She is similarly complimentary of Claire’s home, calling her backyard “lived in and homey” (203). Delilah chooses the bookstore to stage her final grand gesture, completing the art display that Claire has always wanted with her own photographs, proof of her devotion. Delilah’s relationship to physical settings thus telegraphs the security, or lack thereof, she feels in her relationships and reinforces the theme of Creativity and Self-Discovery.
Hair and Clothing
As a visual artist, Delilah is intentional about her personal aesthetic, from her tattoos to her clothing. They also offer key clues to her personality and emotional state. Herring Blake frequently contrasts Delilah with other characters and has Delilah notice aesthetic choices to reveal implicit aspects of relationships and emotions. At Astrid’s engagement brunch, Delilah intentionally chooses a revealing top with fashionable pants and a necklace, which she regards as “sleek as hell. Judging by Astrid’s resigned sigh, she agree[s]” (61). At the same event, Astrid is wearing a form-fitting white dress, reflecting her status as future bride. Later, at the Wisteria House dinner, Astrid chooses “a sleeveless ivory jumpsuit with wide legs, sleek and expensive. Ironically, it pair[s] perfectly with Delilah’s own strapless black jumpsuit” (103). This subtly poses the two women as foils, equal but opposite.
Delilah’s tattoos are even more indicative of her real self, as the wisteria vines on her arms are a memorial to her father. She revels in showing this part of herself, and both Claire and Ruby admire her tattoos. Claire frequently chooses classic looks that flatter her curves, reflecting her commitment to accepting her body and loving herself. Claire, unlike Astrid or Isabel, also gets less polished glimpses of Delilah, such as her curly hair in its less tamed state. On their first night together, Claire looks at Delilah’s curls and thinks that Delilah’s hair is “the cutest fucking thing [she] ha[s] ever seen” (227). Claire and Delilah’s frank appreciation of one another’s physical appearance and personal aesthetics helps develop the bond between them.
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