67 pages • 2-hour read
The Girl Who Was Taken
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Symbols & Motifs
The Train Whistle
Content Warning: This section discusses kidnapping, trauma, and PTSD.
The sound of the train whistle is a symbol that represents both hope and the haunting nature of trauma. Megan’s persistent effort to track down the source of the train whistle echoes her quest for understanding and closure regarding her abduction experience. At the same time, its elusiveness reflects the pervasive nature of trauma and the idea that healing can be hard to navigate. Megan’s pursuit of this sound reflects her struggle to confront and make sense of her past, even as it continues to haunt her present.
The Bunker
Megan’s memoir details her escape from the bunker, and this place becomes a symbol of both confinement and escape. Because Megan was held captive and subjected to the control and manipulation of her abductor, her sense of confinement extends beyond the physical walls of the bunker to encompass her psychological state during her captivity. As such, the bunker represents the loss of freedom, agency, and autonomy that she experienced, highlighting the devastating impact of abduction on an individual’s sense of self.
The bunker therefore symbolizes trauma and the lasting psychological scars left by traumatic experiences. For Megan, the bunker becomes a haunting memory that triggers flashbacks, nightmares, and emotional distress. It symbolizes the trauma of her abduction, the fear and helplessness she felt, and the lasting impact on her mental and emotional well-being. However, her recovered memories of the bunker also facilitate her discovery of the truth, showing how healing can’t occur if someone is constantly running from their pain. By consciously recalling memories of the bunker, Megan actively participates in her own healing journey, ultimately leading to new clues.
The Leather Holster Sound
This sound is a significant symbol in the story because it is the key to Megan uncovering the truth. This is the elusive sound she has reached for in her therapy sessions, and its connection to her childhood enables Megan to identify her father as her abductor. As a child, Megan often heard her father unbuckle his leather holster, and for years, this sound was an innocuous regular occurrence. When Megan was traumatized by her abduction, her mind attempted to protect her by shielding her from the connection between a sound she associates with her father and a sound that occurred during her captivity. The moment when Megan makes this connection is the moment she realizes the truth about her abduction, ultimately marking this sound as a key turning point in the narrative. It represents Megan’s loss of innocence as she comes to terms with her father’s crimes, as well as a concrete step in her healing journey as she realizes the truth of what happened to her.
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