49 pages • 1 hour read
Kimi Cunningham GrantThese Silent Woods
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2022A 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
Birds
The presence of birds is a motif throughout the novel, specifically in connection to the characters. When Cooper flees to the cabin, the only books he brings are the Bible and The Book of North American Birds, which he reads with Finch throughout her childhood. As a result, as they are just a few days into their isolation, Cooper chooses new names for himself and Finch when he speaks to Scotland—and settles on the names of two birds. In particular, Finch is associated with birds throughout the novel. In addition to being named after a colorful bird known for its song, she is also called “little bird” by Scotland and uses “the call of a whip-poor-will” as a “means of communicating in the woods” (85). Finch’s numerous comparisons to birds throughout the novel reflect her situation: She has the ability and the desire to fly free from her life in the cabin and struggles with her restrictive life. This comparison also conveys the theme of The Desire for Connection in the Midst of Isolation, as the isolated cabin restricts and cages her desire to socialize.
When Marie comes to the cabin, the first night she reads from The Book of North American Birds. The passage she chooses is about the Eastern Phoebe, “[h]ailed by many as a harbinger of spring” (143). The selection of this passage is symbolic of Marie’s role in the novel. She brings “spring” to Cooper and Finch, in that she brings awakening for them both and renewal, as they are introduced to everything they have been missing. It is because of Marie that Cooper recognizes the human connection that he and Finch have been missing, and ultimately decides to end their isolation—a change of season for their lives representative of the rebirth and renewal of spring.
Christianity
The language of the Christian Bible permeates the language of the novel, particularly in relation to Scotland. He regularly recites Bible verses, such as “Children are a heritage from the lord” (16), “Judge not, and ye shall not be judged” (124), and “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” in his letter to Cooper (264). He also teaches Sunday school songs to Finch, which bewilders and annoys Cooper because of the “contradictions”—he sees Scotland as someone dangerous, yet the man entertains Finch and sings with her (123-24). Throughout the majority of the novel, the Bible references seem out of place coming from Scotland—a man who lives alone in the wilderness—and they confound Cooper and even annoy him. However, in the climax of the novel, as Scotland turns himself in to protect Cooper, the reasoning behind them becomes clear: Scotland used to be a preacher, and—more importantly—he lost his wife and daughter in the past. Religion, then, speaks to the theme of The Inescapability of the Past. Unlike Cooper, who failed to deal with his PTSD and struggles with overwhelming grief over Cindy’s death, Scotland finds an outlet in religion to confront his past and deal with his emotions. Although Scotland is also isolated and lonely, he also reaches out to Cooper and Finch and recognizes the importance of human connection. Religion is presented in the novel as one form that people can use to face the consequences of the past, deal with grief and even PTSD, and live a more healthy life.
The Quilt
The quilt that Cooper constructs throughout the novel for Finch is a symbol that represents Finch’s life at the cabin. The quilt is made of pieces of Finch’s old clothing, which Cooper has decided to piece together into a blanket for her. He explains that “me being the sentimental fool that I am, I figure this is a good way to preserve for her a piece of her history. A way to remember those early days of our time out here” (25). As Cooper takes pieces of her past and constructs them into something new, Finch has also taken pieces of her life and brought them together within herself to become the person that she is. When Cooper decides that he needs to go to the police and ultimately be separated from Finch, he leaves the finished quilt for her with “all those squares, all those pieces” of her life (248). As he leaves it, he reflects on how “The thought that this will be the last time I see her here in our home. That she will grow and shift [and] her looks will change and she will become someone I won’t know. Maybe not even recognize” (248). This has been Cooper’s fear for his entire life, the thing that drove him to kidnap Finch and escape to the wilderness: Without being in her life, he will lose his child, miss out on her life, and ultimately not even recognize who she is. However, as the quilt symbolizes, the time that they had together has impacted Finch and created the person that she has become. Her ability to thrive in the wilderness, her passion for poetry, her knowledge, and her desire to do what is right are the pieces of her that have built the foundation of who she is and who she will become, thanks to the guidance and parenting that Cooper has given to her. The quilt and all of its pieces represent the person that Finch is and will become, with Cooper’s influence at her core.
