59 pages • 1 hour read
Ann M. MartinRain Reign
Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 2018A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.
Symbols & Motifs
Homonyms
One of the most distinctive traits of Rose’s characterization is her interest in homonyms (although she points out that technically many of the “homonyms” are in fact homophones—knowledge that reveals Rose’s attention to detail). Rose refers to homonyms as “pairs” and “trios,” language that evokes groups of people as well as objects. This double meaning has emotional significance to the story because Rose’s family originally consisted of a trio (herself and her parents) and is currently made up of a pair (herself and her father). However, Weldon symbolically fills Rose’s mother’s empty place, partially reinstating the trio, and eventually Weldon and Rose make up their own two-person family. It is telling that Rose values homonyms with more “matches” than one homonym, which is symbolic of her desire to be part of more meaningful relationships than the problematic father-daughter dynamic apparent with Wesley. Rose points out that even the word “pair” is part of a homonym trio—“The word pair implies two, but it is part of a homonym trio—pair, pear, and pare” (18), again attempting to articulate a desire for more connections between apparently disjunct items or people.
Rose also uses homonyms to help her understand and navigate the world. Homonyms imply that the world is not as it seems, as seemingly unconnected words actually bear a relationship to one another. Because people with autism sometimes struggle to understand other people and express connection to them in a conventional way, Rose’s attempts to catalog the homonyms reflect her desire to understand the world. Rose enjoys the homonym game in part because she has developed rules described in Chapter 3 that help her decide whether a homonym is “legitimate” in her game or not, a structure that helps give her some control and mastery over the exercise. The needs for structure, clear rules, and consistency are understandable because these are common attributes in people with autism. These characteristics also makes Rose’s unease with being out of school for an undetermined time understandable.
Rose generally becomes close to characters who play the homonym game with her (notably Weldon and Parvani) and distrusts those who dismiss it (most notably her father). This distinction reinforces the idea that the homonyms are Rose’s vehicle for connecting to and understanding the people around her.
Driving and Cars
Rose views driving and following traffic safety laws as a way for her to understand which adults can be trusted to follow rules—an important attribute that helps her learn who can be trusted. For example, Rose notes approvingly that Weldon puts on his turn signal in the car while they’re driving to animal shelters. Conversely, the school bus driver breaks several rules of the road and doesn’t intervene when other students direct disability slurs and throw things at Rose, suggesting that driving incorrectly is linked to untrustworthiness. Rose’s confrontation with the bus driver leads to her being banned from riding the bus.
Wesley’s connection to cars and driving is also meaningful. He works at and is later fired from a garage, reflecting his feelings of dependency and apparent incompetence at his job. A coworker loans him a car to use on the other side of the temporary bridge, again suggesting that Wesley needs help and support that he seldom asks for, even when it would be in Rose’s best interest for him to do so. He tellingly breaks a traffic rule by not using a turn signal, which Rose notices and starts to chastise him about before he impatiently cuts her off. These dynamics all suggest that Wesley is not a competent or suitable caregiver for Rose, a conclusion that is reinforced by Wesley himself when he relinquishes her to Weldon at the end of the book.
Pets
Rose uses pets as a way to connect with others, as she does with homonyms. She sparks friendships with her classmates by discussing their pets (even the imaginary ones made up for class assignments) and builds rapport with them when Rain visits the classroom. Rose both draws comfort from Rain and uses her to help build connections with others. Her feelings of protectiveness and sadness after Rain gets lost help her be more empathetic when she learns that Rain’s past owners lost her as well. A photo of a cat in her mother’s possessions also helps Rose feel a sense of connection to and affinity with her absent parent.
Rain also serves as a way for Rose to retain the sense of control and stability she needs in her life. She projects her feelings about routine onto Rain, saying, “We like routines” (11). Later in the book, with Rain gone and her school routine upended, Rose states, “But I need my routine. Most of all I need Rain” (99). This statement suggests that she associates her dog with stability, giving and receiving care and comfort—a dynamic that is also disrupted when she is stranded alone with Wesley. Rose’s ability to freely give Rain back to her old owners suggests that Rose has become more resilient and confident about her ability to find that sense of stability in other places, most notably through her strong relationship with Weldon.
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