61 pages • 2 hours read
Elle KennedyThe Deal
Fiction | Novel | YA | Published in 2015A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Symbols & Motifs
Music
Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of rape, child abuse, and physical abuse.
Music symbolizes a safe, healthy outlet for Hannah’s emotional vulnerability, and she finds comfort in this activity after her experience with sexual assault. Since she was a child, “music has always been an escape for [her]” (67), and when she sings, she lets go of external issues and embraces a deep sense of tranquility. Even when her body did not feel her own after the rape, Hannah’s singing voice and gift for composition have served as a powerful vessel for her emotions, granting her a vital form of self-expression.
While Hannah is frustrated by Cass’s inability to work as a team in the upcoming showcase, her private experiences of singing for Garrett ameliorate her stress, and her “head clears and [her] heart feels lighter” (68). Thus, music makes her “whole again, […] just like it did after the rape” (68). In this sense, music becomes a healing and restorative force for Hannah. By creating scenes in which Hannah’s delight in music is associated with Garrett’s presence, Kennedy subtly alludes to the fact that he will also become a healing and restorative change in her life. By learning to trust Garrett, Hannah overcomes some of the challenges that stem from the trauma of her past.
Halloween
Garrett’s dislike for Halloween is associated with the first instance of physical abuse that he suffered at his father’s hands. However, more symbolically, the holiday represents the pain and emotional baggage that he still carries to this day. His disdain for Halloween therefore hints at the enormous shadow that his abusive father still casts over his life. While Phil is and was a hockey legend to his fans, his cruel private persona—which only Garrett and his mother saw—rendered him “a monster” to his family (225). This decisive word choice further illustrates the symbolic connection between Phil and Halloween; just as the holiday celebrates the idea of fiends that run amok on this particular night, Phil chose to show his own monstrous nature by hitting Garrett for the first time on this holiday. Hannah reveals her perceptiveness when she realizes that Garrett’s aversion to the holiday is tied to an undisclosed negative memory that has plagued him for years, and she shows her support by visiting Garrett on Halloween and replacing old associations with newer, happier memories. This turning point represents Garrett’s first real step toward breaking free of his father’s dark shadow.
The Showcase
The musical showcase in which Hannah competes symbolizes her shift in mindset over the course of the novel. At the start, the showcase is Hannah’s primary focus because she sees music as her sole emotional outlet. Because winning the competition would land her a $5,000 prize, the showcase is quite literally the only way that she can help her parents with their financial issues. However, after her devastating breakup with Garrett, Hannah loses all motivation and passion for the showcase, noting, “The entire semester has been building up to this one stupid performance. And I could not. Care. Less” (298). Since falling in love with Garrett, music is no longer the only thing that brings Hannah comfort, and she deeply misses Garrett’s support, which has brought her even more comfort and happiness than her music has. This shift reflects her emotional and personal growth.
When Hannah competes in the showcase, it’s “like a dam breaks inside [her]” (303). Garrett was the first person who heard her perform her original song, back in its beginning stages, and he listened as she perfected it. When she finally performs in the showcase, she does so for Garrett and feels “transported to that peaceful place […] where nothing bad ever happens. Where girls don’t get raped and sex isn’t hard and people don’t break up because abusive assholes force them to” (303). As Garrett watches this performance, he becomes determined to find out the real reason why Hannah broke up with him. In this way, the showcase begins the process of their eventual reconciliation.
