68 pages • 2-hour read
The Princess of Las Vegas
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Symbols & Motifs
The Carnival Dolls
Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of sexual violence and harassment and death by suicide.
When telling Marisa about her childhood, Betsy recounts a story about her stepfather winning Crissy and her dolls at the carnival. However, he didn’t really win the dolls; he was tricked into paying an exorbitant amount of money by a carnival worker who let him play until he won two dolls. Betsy is never able to look at the dolls—or her stepfather—the same after the incident:
But she did recall how neither Crissy nor she cared when the glass feet broke off the dolls or the dresses tore, or one of the heads cracked and they finally threw them both away. The dolls had become soiled for them because they were symbols of the way their stepfather had been hoodwinked. The lesson for Betsy? Life will fuck over even the smartest among us: people like her stepfather, who—despite what later would happen—had brains (252).
Betsy notes that the dolls symbolize how her stepfather was tricked by the carnival worker; however, they also symbolize how the family was tricked by her stepfather’s family man persona. Betsy is shocked when she learns that her stepfather was sexually abusing Crissy and her idyllic picture of her family is shattered. Additionally, this scene foreshadows the pain her stepfather will continue to cause the family after his death. When Betsy’s mother learns of his crimes, she will also die by suicide. As a result, these dolls symbolize the end of Betsy’s childhood and innocence and her entry into the less-than-perfect reality she must live in following the revelation of her stepfather’s crime.
L.L. Bean Backpack
Toward the beginning of the novel, Crissy makes an offhand comment about a backpack to Betsy and Marisa: “‘[M]y mum had an old canvas backpack…It had straps and buckles. Serious Army Navy clothing store vibe, but I think it was L.L. Bean. Whatever happened to it?’…I recalled it fondly” (126). Little does Crissy know, but this backpack is the reason for her mother’s death by suicide. When Betsy and their mother decide to hike after consuming shrooms, their mother decides to bring an L.L. Bean backpack with her. Unfortunately, she does not know that her deceased husband left a note confessing to sexually abusing Crissy in the backpack:
The day after my stepfather killed himself, my mother was supposed to be one of the high school chaperones on the annual class trip to Washington, D.C. She used to use this ancient L.L. Bean canvas backpack from the 1980s—though it wasn’t such a dinosaur back then. And he wrote a suicide note and put it in the backpack (331).
On the hike, their mother discovers the note and dies by suicide after reading it.
The L.L. Bean backpack symbolizes the hidden secrets of the Dowling family. This backpack was hidden away in the attic for years, much like the truth about what happened to Crissy. Interestingly. Crissy has positive memories of the backpack, suggesting that she is not as tormented as Betsy is by what happened in their childhood. Crissy never admits to being sexually abused by her stepfather, and Betsy is the only one who ever brings it up, leading to it being unclear what exactly transpired in their childhood. Additionally, Betsy has negative feelings regarding this backpack because it is associated with two deaths she feels she played a role in: the death of her stepfather after she caught him sexually abusing Crissy and the death of her mother after she took her hiking, which allowed her to find her stepfather’s confession. Ultimately, it appears that by moving to Las Vegas—leaving the backpack behind in Vermont—Betsy can make peace with her childhood and reconcile with Crissy.
Buckingham Palace Casino
Buckingham Palace Casino is a recurring motif that emphasizes the theme of The Healing Power of Family. The casino is an off-strip British-themed Las Vegas casino. It is not fancy, and its clientele is not as wealthy as the customer base for more exclusive casinos. Many people—especially Futurium—consider the casino campy given its dedication to its British theme and Crissy’s Princess Diana tribute show. However, Buckingham Palace Casino serves as a refuge for Crissy. It allows her to disconnect from reality and any suffering. While this ability causes Crissy to self-isolate for most of the novel, the casino eventually becomes the place where the Dowling family reunifies. At the end of the novel, Betsy and Marisa are also living at the casino, and Marisa says, “For the first time ever, I have people who love me. Really love me” (376). Being with family at the casino allows Marisa to finally feel secure and safe.
Additionally, the sale of Buckingham Palace Casino is the primary conflict throughout the novel. While Crissy says she’s most concerned about her show being canceled if Futurium buys the casino, she’s also concerned about losing her refuge. Betsy is an unwitting participant in Futurium’s attempt to purchase the casino since she is often tricked or forced into dressing like Diana. However, if Futurium had not attempted to buy the casino, Crissy and Betsy would most likely have never reconciled, so the attempted sale—and the trauma that came along with it—ultimately assisted with their reunification.
Impersonation
Impersonation is a recurring motif throughout The Princess of Las Vegas, emphasizing themes of identity, performance, and The Curse and Confusion of Celebrity. Crissy’s career as a Diana impersonator blurs the line between her true self and her stage persona, highlighting the complexities of living in someone else’s shadow. Crissy reflects that she has “built her life from the gossamer of memory and nostalgia” (129), revealing how her identity is tethered to the illusion of Diana’s legacy rather than her own individuality.
The motif of impersonation is not limited to Crissy; it extends to Betsy as she is coerced by Futurium into mimicking Crissy’s likeness and, by extension, Diana’s. Betsy’s discomfort with this role highlights how adopting an identity that isn’t one’s own can be both physically and emotionally draining. She wonders, “What must it be like to gaze upon your reflection and see someone else—someone who just isn’t you?” (137). For Betsy, impersonation becomes a metaphor for losing her autonomy, a fate she fights against as the narrative progresses.
Impersonation also symbolizes survival and resilience. For Crissy, embodying Diana allows her to compartmentalize her trauma and escape the pain of her childhood. Yet, this act of survival becomes a double-edged sword as her dependence on Diana’s persona hinders her ability to live authentically. Betsy, too, is forced to impersonate her sister to protect Marisa, suggesting that impersonation can also function as an act of sacrifice and love. The motif of impersonation ultimately ties into the novel’s broader themes of the healing power of family. By the end, Crissy begins to separate herself from Diana’s legacy, realizing, “Diana doesn’t have to be your Valium. Not anymore” (369). This shift allows her to forge stronger bonds with Betsy and Marisa, proving that stepping out of someone else’s shadow can lead to self-acceptance and personal growth.
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