59 pages • 1-hour read
She Didn't See It Coming
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Symbols & Motifs
Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of murder, graphic violence, and physical abuse.
The True Crime in Albany NY Facebook Group
In She Didn’t See It Coming, the victim’s sister Lizzie is an active participant in a True Crime in Albany Facebook group. This group (and Lizzie’s participation in it) is designed to critique the toxic culture of real-life true-crime enthusiasts and “civilian detectives.” Within the Facebook group, participants speculate wildly about Bryden’s death without showing any regard for the feelings of the victim’s family. They throw out baseless theories, such as the claim by “Susan Day” that Bryden was likely having an affair because “she was gorgeous” and “was probably getting some on the side” (199). They investigate “suspects” without regard for their privacy, as when they dig into the background of Derek Gardner. They also transform the investigation into a form of fandom by declaring themselves either “Team Sam” or “Team Derek.”
Lizzie thrives in this toxic environment and “feels a thrill” (168) when people clamor for her to share her insider knowledge about her sister’s murder. She reflects that she “feels right at the very center of things for a change, and she likes it” (169). The Facebook group has a negative impact on Lizzie’s personal life. As Lizzie “dives deeper into the rabbit hole” (254), she isolates herself more and more from her family, begins acting out in antisocial ways, and delays processing her grief in a healthy way. The novel’s negative portrayal of true-crime enthusiasts is explicitly illustrated in the Donna’s condemnation of her daughter’s interest in this topic as “disgusting, unhealthy” and even “prurient” (293). Likewise, Jayne dismissively notes that “it’s a bunch of crackpots in these groups” (267). These derisive statements contribute to the portrayal of the true-crime group as a toxic social media space.
The Suitcase
The “large, hard-sided, burgundy Samsonite” (89) suitcase is used to transport Bryden’s body, and this item becomes the key clue in She Didn’t See It Coming. As such it also stands as a motif that represents of The Tension Between Outward Appearances and Hidden Realities. From the outside, the suitcase is an innocuous, everyday item that is so ordinary that eyewitness Francine Logan barely notices it. As she tells the detectives, “It was big. And darkish? I’m sorry, I wasn’t really paying attention” (202). However, the suitcase contains “the pale, contorted body of a woman, wearing only bra and panties” (82), and the question of who carried the suitcase from the condo to the storage unit is the central aspect of the investigation.
Like the suitcase, the lives of the people in She Didn’t See It Coming are portrayed as ordinary, but in reality, their lives are messy and complicated, concealing ruthless secrets. For instance, Jayne notes that “Bryden’s life appears almost dull” (47). However, behind the façade of the perfect marriage, her husband is physically abusive. This dynamic makes the suitcase an ideal clue that represents this core theme, for her body is hidden in the suitcase just as the bruises from her husband’s abuse were hidden from view.
Dandylion Day Care
In She Didn’t See It Coming, Clara’s day care, the Dandylion Day Care, is symbolic of the expectations of women and maternal figures who conform to the dictates of a patriarchal society. The novel opens with Bryden’s worry that she will be late picking up her daughter from day care. She will be fined if she is late, but she thinks, “it’s the reprimand she wants to avoid” (1). She interprets her failure to pick Clara up from day care on time as a larger failure to meet the societal expectations of motherhood. However, this scene raises the question of why Sam does not help to shuttle his child to and from day care, given that both Bryden and Sam are busy working professionals. Paige later notes that “Bryden used to complain sometimes about how she did the bulk of the household chores and the bulk of the childcare too” (284). This patriarchal behavior shows that Sam feels that such domestic duties belong solely to his wife.
After Bryden’s death, Sam continues to use his male privilege to avoid domestic duties by transferring the responsibility for transporting Clara to other women in his life, namely Lizzie and Paige. As he reflects to himself, “He will have to take Clara to day care tomorrow though, if Lizzie or Paige doesn’t offer; he doesn’t relish the idea” (275). His failure to step up and take responsibility for the needs of his traumatized young child shows the true extent of his failure as a father.
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