Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng

When Lydia smokes her first cigarette with Jack, she comments that she feels 'sharp and aware like cutting your finger, she thought: the pain, and the blood, reminded you that you were alive.' Marilyn also becomes overwhelmed at the sight of blood when she makes the trip to the doctor to get a pregnancy test. Blood (Motif)īlood is a recurring motif throughout Everything I Never Told You.

Lydia's drowning and subsequent disfigurement renders the lake a villain in the eyes of the Lees. Originally viewed as an object, the lake is transformed into a sinister character. Following Lydia's death, the lake connotes tragedy for the Lee family. Lydia's desire to face her fear of the lake ultimately leads to her death. Due to her inability to swim, the lake is a constant hazard that makes Lydia feel weak and incapable. For Lydia, the lake is an obstacle that she feels unable to conquer. In their small Ohio suburb, the lake symbolizes a place of refuge, mystery, entertainment, and danger. The lake is a complex symbol that is incredibly significant for the Lee family. This symbolizes the domestic obligations Marilyn must undertake as the family's matriarch. As Nath is growing increasingly frustrated with his life at home, his obsession with eggs indicates that he is anticipating his life to begin again when he 'flees his nest.' Additionally, when Marilyn returns home to clean up her mother's belongings, she is struck by a page in the Betty Crocker cookbook that outlines 'the six different ways to prepare eggs.' Marilyn notes that each person in her family prefers their eggs to be prepared in a different way. Eggs symbolize fertility, resurrection, and the possibility of new life. Throughout the novel, Nath is often talking about, eating, or requesting that Marilyn prepare eggs.

Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng