It Should Have Been You: A Novel
71 pages • 2-hour read
Andrea MaraIt Should Have Been You: A Novel
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Symbols & Motifs
Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of death, emotional abuse, and bullying.
WhatsApp Screenshots
The WhatsApp screenshot in Susan’s message, and the screenshots that the recipients then take of her message, symbolize the uncontrollable, destructive power of digital communication. As the novel’s inciting incident, her text represents the transformation of a fleeting, private thought into a permanent, weaponized piece of public information. Susan’s impulsive, “uncharacteristically mean message” about Celeste (3), sent to the wrong group, is disseminated and captured with terrifying speed. The process illustrates the theme of Digital Communication and the Collapse of Privacy, showing how modern platforms have erased the boundary between personal venting and public spectacle. The screenshots preserve a moment of anger, turning it into an immutable artifact of shame. Once they exist, Susan loses control of her narrative, which is then shaped by the gossip and outrage of hundreds of strangers.
The screenshots’ devastating impact moves beyond social humiliation to trigger real-world violence. Their spread “like wildfire” is followed by a brick being thrown through Susan’s window and escalates to death threats. This symbolizes the complete erosion of Susan’s safety and privacy as her digital transgression prompts the physical violation of her home. Felipe’s decision to forward a screenshot to Rory is the final, fatal step in this chain, provoking Rory’s rage and leading to Aimee’s murder. The Prologue’s assertion that four people die and Susan’s world is destroyed “all because of a text” cements the screenshots’ symbolic weight (2). They serve as a cautionary emblem for the theme of The Unforeseeable Consequences of Small Transgressions, demonstrating that in the digital age, a single thoughtless click can unravel lives and end them.
Mistaken Identity, Doubles, and Disguise
The motif of mistaken identity, doubles, and disguise is the novel’s central structural device, driving the plot and reinforcing the theme of The Pervasiveness of Deception and Hidden Lives. The narrative is built on a series of critical mix-ups in which characters are mistaken for one another or pretend to be someone else, leading to tragic miscalculations and lethal consequences. The most significant instance is the confusion between Susan and Savannah, who share the same address in two different housing estates named Oakpark. This initial, arbitrary link, established by misdelivered packages, culminates in Savannah’s death. The question that Leesa poses to Susan, “[I]s Savannah Holmes dead because someone mixed you up? Because…because it should have been you?” (33), suggests that Savannah was the unintended victim of a revenge plot meant for Susan.
The motif extends beyond this central case, creating a pervasive sense of unreliability. Jon, an apparently devoted family man, adopts an alternative identity when he begins his affair with Savannah, claiming to be single. The deception leads to Greta impersonating Susan on Jon’s behalf—a decision that ultimately leads to Savannah’s death. Later, Susan realizes that she mistook Venetia, the woman Warren was having an affair with, for her sister, Aimee—a mistake that leads Rory to kill Aimee. This complex web of doubles and misidentification underscores how easily perceptions are skewed by incomplete information. The motif suggests that in a community obsessed with outward appearances and riddled with secrets, knowing who someone truly is becomes an impossibility.
The Rose-Gold Bangle
The rose-gold bangle is a symbol representing Jon’s infidelity and the tangible intrusion of his secret life into his and Susan’s domestic space. Its discovery marks a major turning point for Susan, transforming her trust in Jon’s fidelity into undeniable, physical proof of betrayal. When Susan finds the bracelet wedged behind his nightstand, it serves as a profound violation, bringing the affair into the sanctity of her bedroom. The bangle’s romantic inscription, “Happy one-month anniversary, all my love, Jon” (73), reveals the depth of his deception, suggesting that it’s not a casual fling. Jon’s message conveys a parallel, meaningful relationship with its own milestones, mocking the legitimacy of his marriage to Susan. This single item shatters Susan’s sense of security and exposes the profound lie at the heart of her family, underscoring the theme of The Pervasiveness of Deception and Hidden Lives.
Beyond its personal significance, the bangle connects Susan’s private marital crisis to the public murder investigation. It’s the first concrete piece of evidence that links her husband directly to Savannah. The symbol of Jon’s betrayal is also a clue in a homicide case. Its physical journey from Savannah’s wrist to Susan’s drawer is a testament to how Jon’s secret actions have calamitously entangled their family in a web of violence and crime. The bangle thus highlights the theme of The Unforeseeable Consequences of Small Transgressions, illustrating how a private moral failing can contribute to a public tragedy.
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