53 pages • 1-hour read
Fragile Sanctuary
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Symbols & Motifs
Content Warning: This section of the guide contains discussion of graphic violence, sexual content, illness or death, and mental illness.
The Victorian House
The half-burned Victorian house is a symbol that physically embodies Rhodes’s psychological state and her journey toward healing. For 14 years, the house stands as a monument to her trauma, with one side looking “completely normal, as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened [while] on the other, there was only wreckage and ruin” (15). This stark visual duality mirrors Rhodes’s own fractured identity; she is a survivor who carries on with life, yet she remains tethered to the devastation of her childhood. Her decision to restore the house is a pivotal act of Confronting the Traumas of the Past. She explicitly states that her goal is “To bring it back to life. And maybe, just maybe, I’d find some of the pieces of me that had died that night along the way” (14). This declaration frames the restoration not as a mere construction project but as a deeply personal quest to reclaim her history and rebuild her sense of self.
The house’s transformation is directly linked to the theme of Finding Sanctuary in Chosen Family. Initially, it is a place of haunting memories, but as Rhodes, Anson, and the Colson family invest their love and labor into its restoration, it evolves into a true sanctuary. The physical act of repairing charred beams and smoke-stained walls becomes a metaphor for healing emotional wounds through community and connection. The Victorian is ultimately reclaimed not just by repairing the structure, but by filling its spaces with new, joyful memories.
Fire
Fire operates as a multifaceted symbol in the novel, representing both the devastating trauma that shatters the characters’ lives and the healing passion that ultimately brings them together. The narrative is born from the literal fire that kills Rhodes’s family, an event she experiences as a terrifying, all-consuming force: “Agony wrapped around me in that blanket of fire” (12). This initial fire symbolizes uncontrollable destruction and profound loss, leaving Rhodes with physical and emotional scars that define her life. The recurrence of fire, when an arsonist sets the Victorian ablaze again, resurrects this trauma, reinforcing its connection to danger and malice. The symbol of fire is thus central to the theme of Confronting the Traumas of the Past, as both protagonists must grapple with its destructive legacy.
However, the novel reclaims fire as a symbol of connection and renewal through the relationship between Rhodes and Anson. Their intense attraction is consistently described using the language of heat and flame. Anson feels that “Everything about her set my blood on fire” (185), transforming the significance of the imagery from pain to passion. This new, metaphorical fire represents a force that counters the trauma of the past. It is a source of life and feeling—a heat that thaws Anson’s frozen emotions. By embracing this passionate connection, Rhodes and Anson find a shared warmth that does not destroy but instead provides a sanctuary, allowing them to forge a new beginning from the ashes of their old lives.
Color and its Absence
The recurring motif of color and darkness serves as the primary visual representation of the characters’ opposing emotional states and their different approaches to handling trauma. Rhodes, despite the tragedy that defines her past, actively embraces a world of vibrancy and life. This is most vividly expressed through her love of gardens and flowers, where she desires “an explosion of color everywhere I could root it” (30). For Rhodes, cultivating color is an act of defiance against the darkness of her past and a way to honor her mother’s memory. Her life is a testament to finding joy and beauty amidst pain, a philosophy reflected in the colorful, lively world she builds around herself. In contrast, Anson intentionally lives in a world devoid of color, a self-imposed penance for the loss of his sister and a way of shielding himself from overwhelming emotions.
This stark contrast is central to the theme of Confronting the Traumas of the Past. When Rhodes asks Anson what color ever did to him, he confesses, “Reminds me of what I lost” (110). His avoidance of color is a physical manifestation of his attempt to numb himself to the pain of memory and happiness. His gray T-shirts, black truck, and unadorned cabin all reflect his internal state of grief-stricken emotional numbness. The narrative arc of their relationship chronicles Anson’s gradual willingness to let Rhodes’s color into his life. Her gift of a pot of pink poppies is a turning point, a small but significant step toward allowing beauty and feeling back into his world, symbolizing his first true move toward healing.
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