Big Summer

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2020

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Summary

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Prologue and Part 1, Chapters 1-9

Part 2, Chapters 10-13

Part 3, Chapters 14-23

Character Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Tools

Beta

Discussion Questions

Symbols & Motifs

Cape Cod

Cape Cod symbolizes wealth and buried secrets. It is where Robert has affairs that lead to secret children. It is also where Nick’s mother is brutally murdered. It is also where Drue gets murdered. Cape Cod is the setting for a lot of pain. And yet it is known for its beauty. In symbolizing the intersection of darkness and beauty, Cape Cod is both a setting and a motif. Something can be both beautiful and full of darkness at the same time, such as Drue.

Cape Cod is far from Daphne’s home in New York. By setting the murder in Cape Cod, Weiner allows Daphne to put distance between her and the past dictated by Drue.

Instagram

This social media platform is where both Drue and Daphne build their careers as influencers. Instagram offers Daphne the opportunity to create a community of women who support one another through the journey of body positivity. It is a space, as defined by Daphne, which offers equality and the chance for marginalized voices to create culture. But it is also a space where people like Daphne can fabricate their identities and live inauthentically. Instagram embodies the pros and cons of social media. It uplifts Daphne but she is not honest about her low self-esteem. It is also the space where people can find one another after many years. Leela uses Instagram to stalk Drue’s friends and discovers an opportunity in Daphne. Similarly, Daphne uses Instagram to investigate the people she suspects of murdering Drue. Social media connects us, but perhaps a little too much. In this novel, Weiner uses Instagram as a symbol for promoting balance.

Clothing

In Big Summer, clothing represents socioeconomic status and beauty norms. Daphne is consumed by her concerns about clothing. She is always on the hunt for a more comfortable and flattering outfit and likens clothing to self-confidence and self-respect. She believes that if she could feel good in her clothing, she could be more equal to women like Drue. Plus-sized clothing is harder to find, demonstrating how only thin women are rewarded with stylish, comfortable fashion. The existence of few plus-sized brands highlights that society has made thinness a norm and how people ignore bigger bodies. This gives the false sense that Daphne is abnormal because of her weight. Most people like look like Daphne, much more so than Drue. But Drue’s body is held up as a desired goal; her clothing deals are more lucrative than Daphne’s. Daphne is always worried that she “looks fat.” Her quest to build a more inclusive fashion industry is an important part of her mission toward body positivity.