The Wish

“They were serious issues, but maybe to stave off her own depression when discussing such a miserable subject, she did her best to keep the videos as light in tone as possible. She supposed that was part of the reason for their popularity.”

Maggie’s thoughts give insight into her view of her diagnosis, while introducing The Importance of Human Connection When Coping With Difficult Circumstances. As Maggie struggles with her illness, she finds consolation both through connecting with others over her diagnosis online and through the power of the videos she makes. Talking about her diagnosis to others and publishing her thoughts online help both her and others cope with cancer.

“Long story short: The next three and a half years were a blur of treatment and recovery, with occasional flashes of hope illuminating dark tunnels of anxiety.”

This metaphor, which compares her illness to a dark tunnel, lends insight into Maggie’s suffering with her illness. It encapsulates so much of her life that she feels as though she is in a dark tunnel, while the things that typically bring her joy—her work, the gallery—are only “flashes” within that tunnel.

“But I won’t ever see [Hamilton] again, she didn’t bother to add. Which was another reason not to be alone. So that thoughts like those didn’t precipitate yet another breakdown. With Mark here, it was somehow easier to keep herself together.”

As Maggie begins to bond with Mark, Sparks draws a parallel between Mark and Bryce. While she is not fully ready to admit the important role that Mark plays—still using unsure words like “somehow”—this quote shows the ways she’s beginning to connect with and establish a familial bond with Mark, just as she did with Bryce.

“‘If it were me, I’d keep [Daisy] and forget the Eagle Scout project.’

‘It’s more about helping someone who needs it. But you’re right. It’s not going to be easy.’”

The first time that Maggie meets Bryce, he is training his dog, Daisy, to become an aid dog for people in need. This moment characterizes him as someone that is dedicated to helping others. He acknowledges that it will be difficult, but because of who he is, he dedicates the time and energy to ensuring that Daisy will go to someone who needs her.

“I waited until the last minute before getting into the car because I didn’t want to be confronted by questions, which was something I was used to from my mom and dad. […] My parents would have been all over me.”

These words epitomize the relationship that Maggie has with her parents in Seattle: they pry into her life and constantly ask her questions. Throughout the novel, Maggie describes her parents in contrast to Aunt Linda. Unlike her parents, Linda is not “all over” her when she gets in the car. This character trait becomes vital to Maggie’s growth throughout the novel, as Linda is always kind and supportive, while still giving Maggie her space to grow.

“‘Love you, too,’ I said. The phrase came automatically, like it did with my friends, and later, when I was talking to my parents and they asked how I was getting along with Linda, I realized it was the first time we’d ever said the words to each other.”

These words mark a beginning to Maggie’s personal growth in the novel. For the first time, she instinctively says “love you” to Linda before she goes to bed. After meeting Bryce, she begins to change her attitude about Ocracoke and her situation there. At the same time, she grows closer with Linda, beginning to appreciate her kindness and support.

“I haven’t exactly lived the kind of life my parents anticipated. I always had the feeling that I was born into the wrong family somehow, and I learned a long time ago that our relationship works best when we maintain some distance between us.”

Maggie’s words to Mark, explaining why she has not called her parents yet about her diagnosis, highlight how strained their relationship has remained since Ocracoke, underscoring their antagonistic role in the text. Sparks’s dual timeline allows him to provide insight into Maggie’s arrival in Ocracoke, her reason for being there, and how her parents treated her, putting the “distance” between them in context.

“The silence depressed me. It wasn’t the silence of silence. It was my own silence. I frowned and read it again, trying to figure out what Plath had meant by that.”

The allusion to Sylvia Plath’s novel The Bell Jar, which explores a young woman’s struggle with her career, society’s expectations, and her own declining mental health, underscores Maggie’s own experiences. This passage emphasizes the “silence” that Esther feels in her life, lends insight into Maggie’s character. Just like Esther, her “silence”—or isolation—contributes to her depressive state in Ocracoke.

“‘You already mentioned that it was a guy you barely knew and a mistake, and you’re giving her up for adoption, so what else is there to say?’ My parents certainly had a lot more to say, but to his point, what did the details matter? In my confusion, I reached for another strand and handed it to him. […] In the silence, I wondered what he was really thinking and whether he was as accepting as he seemed.”

Bryce’s reaction to Maggie’s pregnancy represents a key moment in their growing relationship. Her pregnancy is a central point of anxiety and fear, as she constantly worries that other people are going to judge her. However, when she finally tells the truth to Bryce, he is simply accepting—not even needing to ask any other questions. This reaction settles Maggie, while also giving her hope that she is more judgmental of herself than others will be of her. However, her afterthought that she “wondered” whether he was telling the truth conveys her insecurity that will persist throughout the novel, as she fails to grasp that someone could be as accepting as Bryce.

“Fortunately, I thought I understood what most of the questions were asking and then worked through them step by step the way Bryce had shown me. Even so, when I finally handed it over, I still felt like I swallowed a tennis ball.”

This simile—which compares Maggie’s anxiety over her test scores to a “tennis ball” in her throat—convey the change that is occurring in Maggie. In Seattle and her first week in Ocracoke, she cared little about her test scores. Now, with Bryce’s help, she is beginning to care about her schoolwork and her future.

“It was pretty at the beach, even if it was entirely different from the coast in Washington. Where I was used to rocks and cliffs and angry waves shooting plumes of water, there was nothing but gentle swells and sand and sawgrass.”

Throughout the past timeline, Maggie’s changing relationship with Ocracoke reflects her personal growth. She initially dislikes Ocracoke, but eventually finds she’s able to appreciate its beauty and its uniqueness, growing more comfortable with it as she grows more comfortable with herself. Sparks uses specific diction as he describes both beaches—for Seattle, he uses words like “angry” and “shooting,” which emphasize the harshness of Maggie’s former life. The use of the word “gentle” to describe Ocracoke conveys the stark difference between the two locations.

“It was only after I hung up that the reality of the situation hit me. It was one thing to see the flotilla with his family or drop by his house after walking the beach, but spending time at both our houses on Christmas Day felt like something more, almost like we were taking a step in a direction I was pretty sure I didn’t want to go. And yet…I couldn’t deny that I was happy about it.”

This passage encapsulates Maggie’s internal conflict after she spends Christmas with Bryce. As she develops deeper romantic feelings for Bryce, she realizes that their relationship has an unlikely future, yet she can’t “deny” that she is “happy.” Sparks emphasizes the ways in which Maggie and Bryce’s romantic connection is rooted in a strong foundation of friendship and respect.

“I thought back to my first few weeks in Ocracoke—the fear and sadness and the ache of loneliness as I lay in my room, the notion that my friends would forget me, and the conviction that being away from home for the holidays was a wrong that could never be righted. And yet as I sat beside Bryce with the photograph in my lap, I knew already that this had become a Christmas I would never forget.”

At the end of Chapter 4, Maggie’s change in the novel is evident. When she arrived in Ocracoke, she was concerned about her friends and family that she was leaving behind, feeling “loneliness” and isolation. Now, after growing close with Bryce and Linda, she is realizing that she is better off here than in Seattle. These words also emphasize the importance of the setting. In both the past and present, it is Christmastime, which was an important time for her in Ocracoke—just as it becomes important at the end of her life. The holiday shows her how loving and supportive the people in her life are, emphasizing the theme of The Transformative Power of Love.

“[Maggie] couldn’t help flashing on her long-ago Christmas in Ocracoke, knowing there had been beauty in its simplicity, in spending time with the people she cared about rather than being alone. She didn’t want to be alone on her last Christmas, and taking a few seconds to study Mark, she knew she suddenly didn’t want him to be alone, either.”

Maggie’s words emphasize the importance of the dual timeline structure of the novel. Sparks parallels her with Mark with her Christmas in Ocracoke—both of which emphasize The Importance of Human Connection When Coping With Difficult Circumstances. Just as the Christmas holiday helped her in Ocracoke, Christmastime in Manhattan allows her to grow close with Mark, helping her to come to terms with her illness.

“It dawned on me then that Bryce—just like my aunt—had come into my life at the time when I’d needed him most. More than that, he’d quickly become the closest friend I’d ever had, and I hadn’t been wrong in reading his desire.”

As Maggie reflects on her time with Bryce, she makes his contribution to her personal growth explicit, underscoring The Transformative Power of Love. Whether she has a romantic relationship with Bryce or not, she recognizes their friendship as vital to her growth and development. She realizes that, despite having friends in Seattle, they never offered her the kindness and support that Bryce does.

“[Linda] pretty much repeated the same things she’d told me when she’d first shown me around, and I’m pretty sure my parents were as unimpressed as I had been. In the back seat, my mom appeared almost shell-shocked.”

Maggie’s mother’s arrival in Ocracoke mirrors her own, setting up parallel scenes. Just as Maggie arrived and was “unimpressed” with Ocracoke, her mother arrives and feels the same way. These words convey the duality of Ocracoke, which appears desolate and rundown. By drawing these parallels, Sparks reminds the reader of where Maggie began her journey and where she is now, as she has grown an appreciation for Ocracoke, the people there, and the sense of belonging she finds.

“I thought about how [the girls at the convent] felt as they lifted a brush, adding color and wonder to a blank canvas and feeling—if only for a brief moment—that they were like other girls their age, unburdened by past mistakes. And I knew that they felt the same way I did when I stared through the lens, that finding and creating beauty could illuminate even the darkest periods.”

Maggie’s reflection about the other pregnant girls that her aunt has helped points to the novel’s thematic exploration of The Role of Art in Self-Discovery. Maggie’s photography—like the paintings of the girls at the convent—allows her to be free for the moment from difficulties and lost in the art. For Maggie, art serves as an escape from the “past mistake” of her pregnancy, allowing her the space to move forward and grow.

“I know it’s not my decision or even my business, but I’m glad you decided to put the baby up for adoption and not have an abortion. […] If you had, you never would have come to Ocracoke and I wouldn’t have had the chance to meet you.”

Bryce’s words to Maggie exemplify his kindness and lack of judgement in contrast to the criticism of her parents and society more broadly. Even in one of the most difficult experiences of her life, she finds happiness, friendship, and romance with Bryce—who accepts her for her true self.

“A few minutes later, after the session ended and Mark was in the changing area, she took a peek at the photos and found herself thinking about the shot she’d taken of Bryce on the ladder. Just as she’d done back then, she’d seemed to capture the essence of the young man she’d come to know. Like Bryce, Mark had also become strangely important to her in a relatively short period.”

This passage reiterates the parallel between Mark and Bryce. Both represent vital figures of love and support in Maggie’s life, highlighting the importance of human connection. Sparks’s use of the word “strangely” foreshadows the truth that Mark is Maggie’s son, underscored by Maggie’s subconscious recognition of her instant connection with Mark in a “short” time.

“Maggie found herself reflecting back on the last few days with a light sense of wonder. She’d seen The Nutcracker, decorated a tree, shipped gifts to her family, skated at Rockefeller Center, seen the window displays on Fifth Avenue, and now this. She was checking off once-in-a-lifetime experiences with someone she’d come to care about, and sharing the story of her past had lifted her spirits.”

Maggie’s reflections on her time with Mark connect to Sparks’s initial introduction of her when she liked the “idea” of Manhattan at Christmas—but not the act of experiencing it—words that emphasize her isolation and loneliness at the start of the novel. In contrast her week of holiday activities with Mark demonstrate the ways in which human connection has transformed her outlook.

“Because of me, [Bryce] also had to do things that a kid should never have to do, like helping me in the bathroom or even getting me dressed. He didn’t complain, but I still feel bad about that. Because he had to grow up more quickly than other kids his age. […] After that, he was never a kid again. I don’t know whether that’s been a good thing or a bad thing.”

Bryce’s mother’s words give insight into his character and the maturity that he has shown throughout the novel. After his mother’s accident, he was forced to care for her and his siblings while his father traveled for work. Sparks characterizes him as mature, passionate, and driven. Bryce’s mother’s concern that she isn’t sure whether it’s a “good thing or a bad thing” foreshadow Bryce’s proposal and request that Maggie remain in Ocracoke with him, and inform Maggie’s decision to end their relationship.

“[Bryce would] live his life and I’d live mine, we’d grow and change, and distance would take its inevitable toll, like drops of water wearing down a stone. He’d meet someone or I would, and eventually, our relationship would come to an end, leaving nothing but Ocracoke memories in its wake.”

This simile, which compares Maggie and Bryce’s relationship to a “stone” and time to “drops of water” that wear it down, conveys Maggie’s mature understanding of her relationship with Bryce and her decision to decline Bryce’s marriage proposal. She recognizes that they are still young and must live their lives, while also acknowledging how much she cares for Bryce. Ironically, Bryce has been characterized as the more mature character throughout the novel with a better grasp on his life; however, it is Maggie who sees the immaturity of his perspective regarding their relationship, demonstrating her own growth

“I quit my job, left my family, and moved to New York. I stopped going to church, stayed out every night, and dated one bum after another for a long time, until that would finally began to close. The only thing that kept me from going completely off the deep end was photography.”

Maggie’s explanation to Mark about what happened after Bryce died conveys just how much his death impacted her, and demonstrates the ways she attempted to cope with his death. Ultimately, it was her photography that helped bring her back to herself, pointing to the role of art in self-discovery. Maggie admits that she tried to escape from her feelings of depression by staying out and being with other men. Telling her story to Mark allows her to finally face her despair over Bryce’s death.