63 pages • 2 hours read
Ruth WareOne Perfect Couple
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2024A 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
Dwellings and Their Occupants
The island’s villas gain particular prominence early in the narrative as Lyla immediately notices the larger villa standing in the water, with a wooden boardwalk connecting it to the main island. This is the villa featured in the show’s promotional materials, illustrating Baz’s use of manipulated images to persuade the contestants to participate. However, Lyla soon senses that all may not be as it appears, telling Nico, “It’s not finished. Doesn’t that bother you?” (92). His dismissal of any infrastructure issues illustrates the gulf of communication that separates them. Lyla soon sours on the “Ever After Villa” when she learns that she must spend the night there with Joel after Nico is eliminated from the competition. As the wind intensifies, she thinks uneasily, “Maybe it had never weathered a storm” (136), and her thoughts foreshadow the disastrous failure of the island’s infrastructure to withstand the ravages of the elements.
Later, Conor forcibly moves Zana into the villa, building an unstable set of platforms to ensure that he remains isolated and can watch the others approach him. The villa thus comes to epitomize Conor’s drive for control, and the remote location of the villa allows him to drown Dan without witnesses. The villa’s original appearance and intended romantic purpose contrast sharply with its later status as the site of Conor’s power and domination, and this incongruity implies that the island and the reality show itself both rely on manipulation and deception that prove to be as unstable as the makeshift jetty leading to the ill-fated villa. At the novel’s conclusion, Lyla realizes that her initial instinct to distrust the construction at the resort was correct in more ways than one. The entire island becomes a monument to Baz’s duplicity and to the staged narrative of Conor as a hero.
Food and Meals
The quality and availability of the food on the island shifts over time, allowing Ware to accentuate the issues involved in pursuing Survival Under Extreme Conditions. On their first day on the island, Lyla notices that all the food set out for them appears sumptuous and appetizing, but she soon realizes that “the pastries and Danishes in particular ha[ve] the slightly plastic quality of long life food” (100). This is a subtle hint that the show is less polished than it appears to be, validating Lyla’s doubts.
When the storm removes the group’s access to reliable refrigeration, the earlier critiques of the food quality become less relevant as the group’s concern shifts to its quantity. Conor’s choice to criticize Angel’s food portion, even after his role in Bayer’s death, demonstrates his cruelty and controlling nature. Later, Conor demonstrates his disregard for the others by bringing them pretzels to eat, which Santana interprets as a cruel insult, given their dehydrated state. Upon their rescue, Lyla focuses intently on “the first meal that [i]sn’t forest-scavenged fruit” (366), indicating that the reality of rescue has removed the survival threat and given her a new appreciation for the quality of routine meals.
Geckos and Snakes
Lyla’s tendency to observe the island’s wildlife often coincides with major plot developments. For example, geckos remind her of her scientific side and the benign aspects of island life, and she observes, “[N]ot everyone would welcome a lizard friend into their room, but I was happy for him to deal with the mosquitos” (90). This is a rare moment of satisfaction for Lyla on the day of her arrival. Later, geckos arrive to mark crucial moments in the narrative; Lyla sees one when she notices the open villa door, only to later realize that this is the moment when Santana’s insulin is stolen. Later, she sees a gecko on the night she spends “wait[ing] for Joel to decide which side he want[s] to be on” (269). The lizards thus represent Lyla’s rational and scientific side, appearing when she is gathering data that will prove crucial to survival.
Snakes also appear regularly in the text, representing ambivalence and the constant threat of treachery. After the storm, Lyla watches as a “bright green snake leisurely unw[inds] itself” (164), and she has no idea whether it is venomous or benign. Lyla sees another snake when she visits the villa where Romi dies during her search for Joel, and its presence indicates that Joel’s true loyalties are questionable at best. She finds herself fighting fear of the snake and uses the moment to remind herself that she is a scientist who must rationally assess the danger around her. Seeing the snake restores Lyla’s hold on her empirical nature, but it also reminds her of nearby threats. When a snake later appears during the discussion of what to do about Conor, Angel’s fear of the snake spurs Santana to remark, “Poison is a good idea” (307), catalyzing the remainder of their plan. In this moment, they decide to become treacherous themselves in an attempt to reverse their situation.
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By Ruth Ware
