56 pages • 1-hour read
Out of the Woods
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Symbols & Motifs
Reading and Writing
Throughout Out of the Woods, reading and writing are motifs that develop the themes of Creativity and Art as Key to Healing and The Power of Letting Go of Grief. Sarah is an avid reader and aspiring writer, and many of her most emotional moments involve books and her own creative efforts. Even though he is not necessarily happy to be on the retreat, Caleb brings Sarah’s e-reader, knowing that nightly time with a book is key to her happiness. In the past timeline, Sarah competes in a province-wide essay contest just before Marcie’s ALS diagnosis. Her mother is proud and supportive, assuring her that she is carrying on a family tradition. As a result, Sarah feels immense pressure to succeed, feeling as though she must make amends for her birth thwarting Marcie’s own youthful writing aspirations. After Cecilia Floodgate disparages Sarah’s talent, Marcie reads her a story by Sylvia Plath about the importance of risking failure, gently trying to tell her that “[f]ailure is simply an opportunity for those who have time” (182). Though Sarah dismissed her mother’s words then, she later recalls them at the retreat, deciding to let them be “louder than those from a woman who’d not known me at all” (191). As Sarah processes and lets go of her grief, she simultaneously renews her commitment to writing.
Writing and paper are also part of Sarah and Caleb’s romance. Sarah recalls that their relationship began with her writing her phone number on a paper plane for him in high school. In a reference to their young romance, at the retreat, she writes love letters to Caleb on paper planes to begin to repair the rift between them. In turn, Caleb signals his commitment to Sarah’s literary hopes by writing them down in their journaling exercise. In the Epilogue, Sarah is a successful writer and has just written a play adapting her first novel, a tribute to Marcie. Caleb turns his play program into a paper plane, harkening back to their early courtship. Sarah’s ability to write about Marcie and speak at opening night demonstrates that she has found new strength and confidence, deepening the theme of creativity and art as key to healing.
Nature
With its setting in the Reignite nature retreat, the novel uses nature as a motif that highlights the need to step out of one’s comfort zone to make real progress in life. Early in the novel, Win pushes Sarah to consider unconventional approaches to resolving the tension in her marriage. She suggests a weeklong wilderness retreat that involves hiking, even though Sarah insists, “Caleb and I are not outdoorsy people” (39). Caleb is similarly skeptical. At the end of the first day, Sarah is so exhausted that she asks Caleb to literally drag her body to the tent rather than walk. He is similarly exhausted, telling her, “[Y]our turn to drag me tomorrow, okay?” (103). They commiserate over their shared fatigue, finding a point of connection even amidst their difficulties.
On nature walks with Helen and Yvonne, Sarah openly discusses her doubts about her marriage and her hopes for a more fulfilling future, finding it easier to open up in this new environment. On a climb with Yvonne, Sarah takes in the birdsong and the trees, and “for an indiscernible amount of time, [she] get[s] lost in it all” (165). She confesses that she is unhappy in the present, admitting that she has not lived up to her ambitions, in part because of her inability to move forward from the past. The epiphanies on this hike lead Sarah to write to Caleb about her feelings, that time in nature helps her resolve the Tensions Between Personal Growth and Marital Stability. Sarah and Caleb swim together before completing their journaling exercise, flirting and teasing each other as the swim brings a new ease to their dynamic. They are similarly invigorated by passionate outdoor sex, and both want the intimacy they find in the woods to persist with their return to everyday life. The natural setting encourages Sarah toward introspection and also generosity with others, whether with her spouse or newer connections.
Sharing Beds
Throughout Out of the Woods, the motif of sharing beds is a representation of close intimacy and connection between family. In many scenes in the past timeline, Sarah joins Marcie in her bed for conversations and confidences. She reflects, “I know that most teenaged girls probably don’t lie in their mother’s bed and fight the urge to suck their thumb when cocooned in their hold, but it can be our little secret” (75). In one scene, Sarah confides her hopes for the writing competition, determined to use her ambitions to fulfill her mother’s hopes. Later, Sarah crawls into bed with Win for emotional refuge after Marcie’s diagnosis, and then both of them join their mothers in Marcie’s bed. The setting emphasizes the closeness and safety of their family of choice, especially its importance in Sarah’s youth. Sarah similarly joins Marcie in her bed to read to her during her illness and visits her mother’s hospital bed with her wedding album, telling her mother how much she loves her. These moments illustrate the power of their bond and the intensity of Sarah’s emotional loss.
As an adult, Sarah returns to this pattern, though from a place of greater self-assurance. After Caleb’s concussion, she and Win spend the night together in Caleb’s hospital room, sharing their fears and Sarah’s hopes for the future. Sarah joins Caleb in his hospital bed after he regains consciousness, and they affirm their commitment to the 10-year plan they composed while camping. That night, Sarah, Bo, Win, and August celebrate Caleb’s recovery together, and Sarah soaks in the “comfort of having my family in one place” (308). This signals Sarah’s new sense of inner peace and security, a refuge she has made for herself in honor of the one her mother once offered her.
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