55 pages • 1-hour read
Hidden Nature
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Symbols & Motifs
Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of graphic violence.
Sloan’s House
Sloan’s housing over the course of the novel symbolizes the state of her life and character arc at that moment. When the story opens, Sloan is living independently in Annapolis, where she has an apartment near her office with the Natural Resources Police. Sloan wanted to move away from her childhood home and pursue her own career, so her apartment is a reflection of that independence. However, Sloan has found that she’s let work take over, and her personal life is not thriving. When her injury places her back in her childhood home, under the care of her parents and sister, this return makes Sloan feel she is starting over in many ways. While she chafes at her own weakness, she uses the time to reflect on what she really wants and decides to move forward with a job offer that will keep her in the area and a new house that will let her live close to, if not with, her family.
Sloan’s cottage is small and in need of some repairs, much as she herself feels after her recovery. She approaches renovations step-by-step, a reflection of her methodical nature, and each new remodeling touch reflects the pride and satisfaction Sloan felt during her physical recovery. Sloan remakes the cabin to create the space she wants, one that is calm, stylish, and relaxing, with practical touches like a mudroom and carport. Her redesign of her home symbolizes her personal recovery and the commitment she’s made to enjoying her second chance at life, which reflects her sense of contentment on both a professional and personal level.
The Seasons
Throughout the course of the book, the changing seasons are a central motif that embody The Rewards of Rebuilding and Renewal. The story opens in fall, the season of harvest, when Sloan has confronted and apprehended a trio of father and sons who were harassing hikers. After she’s shot, Sloan’s recovery takes place in winter. She’s reinjured over the Thanksgiving holiday, a source of additional frustration as she feels out of step with the celebrations around her. The quiet, snow-covered landscape she navigates as she pushes herself to recover reflects her new limitations but also affords the space for rest and reflection.
The new year brings Sloan a new job opportunity, symbolizing the fresh start she’s been given both with the calendar year and her recovery. The hints of winter thaw accompany Sloan’s adaptation to her new job and the beginning of work on her new house. The false starts toward spring parallel the starts, stops, and new complications as she pursues her investigation into the abductions. The turn toward a real spring reflects further new growth in Sloan’s life as she begins a relationship with Nash. By the last section of the book, Sloan’s appreciation for the flowers and wildlife of spring reflect her optimism about where her life is going. The natural setting reflects and furthers her joy at solving the murders, fitting in with her new job, relishing her romantic relationship, and having a second chance at life.
Sloan’s Hat and Gun
Sloan’s uniform and her sidearm symbolize the sterner, disciplined aspect of her nature as well as the strength and courage she exhibits in doing her job, reflecting The Joys of a Calling. As Nash notes, it takes a great deal of courage to go back to work after she was shot simply for being in uniform. The Stetson hat, a symbol of her training and authority, fits with Sloan’s no-nonsense and principled approach to her work as well as the intelligence, restraint, and insight she possesses into human nature. As evidence of her discipline, skill, and mental toughness, the hat and uniform also figure into Nash’s attraction to Sloan.
The gun, her tool of enforcement, becomes a symbol of Sloan’s character arc over the course of the novel. She begins by being victimized by a gun, shot by a criminal in the midst of committing a robbery. She doesn’t have time to intervene or defend herself. The gun that Clara gives Sam to use against Sloan heightens their threat against her and indicates the level of aggression and violence the antagonists are willing to employ. In the final confrontation, Sloan rewrites that moment in the mini-mart by defending herself and stopping Sam before he can launch his attack. This time, she isn’t frozen and is able to use her training and the necessary amount of force to stop a crime. Bringing the murderers to justice completes Sloan’s mission and her character arc, suggesting that she has grown and matured into an even more effective upholder of the law.
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