54 pages • 1-hour read
Her Soul for Revenge
A 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
Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of graphic violence, death, and sexual content.
Scars, Tattoos, and Piercings
Juniper hates the scars that she bears from the Libiri’s attempted sacrifice. She considers the scars physically ugly and sees them as a reminder of the most terrifying and painful experience of her life. She covers the scars with tattoos, a project that’s extremely important to her, as she notes that she doesn’t spend her limited funds on anything she considers nonessential. One of these tattoos is of a wolf’s head, which, combined with her ferocity, leads Zane to nickname her “little wolf.”
When Zane carves his name into Juniper as part of the ritual to complete their magical bond, Juniper doesn’t find these scars abhorrent like the Libiri’s; she attributes this to her consenting to the cuts. In addition, Zane notes that his intention in cutting her is to “honor” her rather than harm her. Juniper also finds comfort in agreeing to let Zane pierce her tongue, which is part of a demonic cultural ritual indicating a deep, emotional relationship. She finds it healing to know that she trusts someone enough to let them see her physically and emotionally vulnerable. The significance of body markings, organic or nonorganic, thus parallels the novel’s theme of The Importance of Consent. Markings that are consensually obtained are a comforting form of self-expression, while markings obtained via nonconsensual violence can increase and prolong trauma.
The Woods
The novel begins with Juniper recalling her grandfather’s recommendation that if she ever hears her name from the woods, she should flee, as this signals supernatural danger. The woods in Her Soul for Revenge therefore align with a common horror trope that holds that uninhabited woods are mystical places in which humans are trespassers on land that belongs to supernatural forces, often malevolent ones. The woods serve as the site for Juniper and Zane’s conflicts with the most dangerous of the Deep One’s allies, and when the Deep One takes over Jeremiah’s body, the most unpleasant part of the woods near Abelaum (the rotting and putrid mushrooms) takes over the Hadleigh house, further emphasizing the connection between the rapid growth of the woods and the Dark One’s power.
The novel’s final scene, in which Zane and Juniper have joyous sex in the woods in rural Vermont, suggests that the text’s connection between evil and the woods is specific to Abelaum. This frames the woods as being the site of evil but not the source of it. Instead, the novel shows that the Deep One perverts the natural force that is otherwise free and beautiful. Juniper’s ability to find joy in the woods at the end of the text likewise highlights her healing, as she no longer feels instinctive terror of the woods.
The Libiri
The religious cult called the Libiri is led first by Kent Hadleigh and later by Jeremiah Hadleigh. They worship the Deep One and intend to perform three sacrifices to return their god to its full power. They treat the survival of three miners in an accident 100 years earlier as their origin myth; the sacrifices, they hold, must be descendants of the survivors. This includes one of the Hadleigh twins, who are both raised knowing that one of them will be asked to die for their religion. Jeremiah ultimately kills Victoria, though he, too, dies when the Deep One chooses itself over protecting its followers.
The Libiri collectively serve as antagonists in the novel, though they symbolically also indicate humans’ foolish and selfish instincts when offered potential power. The novel doesn’t suggest that the call of the Deep One will tempt all humans and its offer of rewards if the Libiri turn against those with less power, including their children, in Kent’s case. It does, however, suggest that this allure is powerfully seductive, especially when combined with the pressures of mob mentality.
The legends that reign in Abelaum draw many people into the Libiri’s sphere, and, as Juniper notes, many members appear to be innocent and productive members of society on the surface. The text frames religion as a culturally legible veneer that can cover up misdeeds, which are made in the name of serving a higher power. The novel doesn’t necessarily indicate that this is an inherent feature of religion but does suggest that it’s a potential, powerful, and dangerous one.
Unlock the meaning behind every key symbol & motif
See how recurring imagery, objects, and ideas shape the narrative.
- Explore how the author builds meaning through symbolism
- Understand what symbols & motifs represent in the text
- Connect recurring ideas to themes, characters, and events