40 pages • 1-hour read
Maybe Not
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Symbols & Motifs
Physical Intimacy
Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of child abuse.
Throughout Maybe Not, physical intimacy serves as a motif that indicates both Bridgette’s fear of emotional closeness and her slow transformation into someone capable of trust. Unlike traditional romantic relationships that progress from emotional connection to physical intimacy, Bridgette and Warren’s relationship develops in reverse, with their physical closeness preceding emotional vulnerability. This is in large part because Bridgette initially relies on sex as a means of control, keeping Warren at arm’s length while indulging in purely physical interactions: She avoids deep conversations, using physical encounters as a way to keep Warren interested but emotionally distant.
However, as the story progresses, smaller, seemingly insignificant gestures, like holding hands or kissing on the cheek, become more meaningful than their sexual encounters. When Bridgette begins allowing affection in non-sexual ways, it marks her growth from someone who views intimacy as a weapon to someone who sees it as a form of trust. By the end, physical intimacy is no longer a defense mechanism but a reflection of genuine connection, emphasizing The Role of Trust and Vulnerability in Developing Deep Connection.
Humor
Humor is a defining feature of Warren and Bridgette’s dynamic, making it one of the novel’s most prevalent motifs. Both characters use sarcasm, teasing, and pranks to avoid confronting their true feelings. Warren’s humor serves as both a coping mechanism and a means of pushing Bridgette’s boundaries, while Bridgette’s sarcasm is a shield against vulnerability.
The motif thus supports the theme of self-preservation and emotional barriers. Bridgette often masks her feelings with harsh remarks or aggressive humor, refusing to take emotional moments seriously. Warren, on the other hand, hides his frustration behind playful pranks and exaggerated reactions. Their humor-driven conflict represents their resistance to openly addressing their growing affection.
The novel’s ending reinforces how humor shifts from a tool for avoidance to a tool for connection. Bridgette’s final refusal to tell Warren the name of the adult film she appeared in is a callback to their early banter. However, instead of being a way to distance herself from him, her teasing now represents comfort and affection. The motif of humor underscores the novel’s message that love doesn’t have to be overtly serious to be real; sometimes, laughter is a sign of the deepest connection.
The Shower
The apartment’s shower is a symbol of Warren and Bridgette’s evolving dynamic, as well as of vulnerability broadly. The two first meet when Warren accidentally walks in on Bridgette while she is in the shower, but while she is naked at the time, the moment is marked not by vulnerability but by aggression and suspicion. The scene in which Bridgette reveals her history of abuse inverts the tone, mood, and imagery of this initial meeting. For much of the conversation, Warren cannot even see Bridgette, who has drawn the shower curtain, but her candor about her past makes the episode more intimate than anything the couple has previously shared; despite the drawn curtain, Warren is truly “seeing” Bridgette for the first time.
The two scenes also build toward notably different culminations; where the first ends with Bridgette leaving the room, angry that her privacy has been violated (however inadvertently), the second ends with Warren joining Bridgette in the shower, underscoring their newfound connection. That he gets into the shower fully clothed is significant as well, highlighting both the nonsexual nature of the interaction and Warren’s willingness to immerse himself in Bridgette’s life and concerns. Finally, the running shower harkens to the pranks that characterized Bridgette and Warren’s early interactions, as they each attempted to douse the other in water. That they now meet under the running water both extends and transforms the imagery surrounding those pranks, suggesting The Transformation of Antagonism Into Affection.
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