The Risk
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Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of gender discrimination.
The Pink-and-Purple Beaded Bracelet
The pink-and-purple beaded bracelet is a key symbol that tracks Jake’s emotional evolution from a self-focused athlete to a supportive partner. Initially, the bracelet represents Jake’s personal superstition and his singular dedication to hockey. He explains that he has worn it on game days ever since it coincided with a month-long winning streak in high school, and he only half-jokingly credits its “magical powers” as essential to his success. This establishes the bracelet as an emblem of his identity as a player.
The bracelet’s symbolic meaning transforms when Jake lends it to Brenna before her difficult conversation with her father. In this moment, the personal talisman of luck becomes a token of support, representing his desire to give her strength and courage. By entrusting his lucky charm to her, Jake extends his protection and care, making a vulnerable gesture that prioritizes her well-being over his own rituals. This act is a significant step in breaking down the walls built by The Fear of Emotional Vulnerability.
The bracelet’s importance is further magnified when Brenna races to Worcester to return it before Jake’s championship game, demonstrating that her care for him transcends their breakup and the pressures of their schools’ rivalry. Her mission to return it becomes the catalyst for their reconciliation, cementing the bracelet’s final meaning as a shared emblem of mutual trust, support, and a love strong enough to overcome personal fears and external conflicts.
Red Lipstick
Brenna’s signature red lipstick is a symbol of her self-confidence and the emotional shield she uses to protect herself, illustrating The Fear of Emotional Vulnerability. She views the lipstick as her “trademark,” a bold statement of identity that makes her feel invincible in a world that often tries to diminish her. This connection between appearance and strength is central to her character, illustrating how she constructs a resilient persona to navigate challenges.
During Brenna’s internship interviews and the dinner party at Ed Mulder’s house, the red lipstick’s significance is sharpened by its absence. On these occasions, she opts for a more subdued pink gloss, a conscious decision to temper her personality in an attempt to be taken seriously in a male-dominated environment. This choice highlights The Devaluation of Women’s Expertise in Sports, as Brenna feels like she must sacrifice a part of her identity to conform to sexist professional expectations.
The lipstick’s role as a defense mechanism becomes most clear immediately after Jake breaks up with Brenna. To fake composure after heartbreak, she reapplies her cosmetic “armor,” consciously reclaiming her power and resilience. After allowing herself to be emotionally open and getting hurt, she retreats behind the protective barrier that the lipstick represents. The red lipstick is thus a complex symbol of both Brenna’s defiant confidence and her carefully guarded heart.
The HockeyNet Internship
The HockeyNet internship functions as a symbol of Brenna’s professional ambition and the gauntlet of gendered obstacles she must navigate to claim a legitimate place in the sports industry. On its surface, the internship is a concrete career opportunity—a coveted entry point into broadcast hockey analysis that would validate the expertise that Brenna has cultivated her entire life. For Brenna, landing it would mean that her knowledge of the game is being judged on its own merits rather than dismissed as a byproduct of her father’s status as a legendary coach.
The internship gains further symbolic meaning through everything Brenna must suppress or endure to pursue it. Her initial lie that she’s dating Jake stems from an understanding that proximity to a male hockey star is the only way to gain the attention of her interviewer, Mulder. The pink gloss that she substitutes for her trademark red lipstick, the deferential posture that she adopts at Mulder’s dinner party, and the sexist condescension that she tolerates in his home all reveal how Brenna must compromise her integrity to compete. In this way, the internship crystallizes The Devaluation of Women’s Expertise in Sports: The very gatekeepers empowered to recognize her talent are the ones most invested in reminding her that she doesn’t belong. Ultimately, the HockeyNet internship stands for the double bind that women face when entering male-dominated fields, where the dream job and the compromises required to secure it are inseparable.
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