41 pages • 1 hour read
Megan MirandaThe Last House Guest
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2019A 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
Infinity Tattoo
Avery and Sadie’s matching tattoos are infinity symbols, although Avery’s is broken, with curves that do not fully connect back to the other lines. If a completed infinity symbol represents eternity, fulfillment, and balance, then Avery’s broken infinity signifies her feelings of being incomplete. It also captures one of her prevailing philosophies on life: “Nothing lasts forever. Everything is temporary. You and me and this” (231). Ironically, the broken tattoo is permanent—even if everything else is temporary, the mark will last. Connor remarks that it looks more like an “S” than an infinity sign, suggesting that Avery branded herself with Sadie’s initial as a permanent sign that she belongs to Sadie and is not truly her own person. It is not until the novel’s end, when Avery publicly reveals the truth about Sadie’s death, that she is able to find fulfillment, feel complete, and move forward with her life. Her grief was temporary, but what she learned from it will last forever.
Darkness and Light
Literal darkness occurs suddenly and unexpectedly in the novel, from Avery coming home to find the power out to the startling grid overload at the Plus-One Party. In a more figurative sense, being in the dark means one is unaware or deliberately excluded from certain knowledge. One may also use the “cover of darkness” as protection or as a means for escape, like how Collins causes the power outage at the Plus-One Party to leave with Sadie’s body while everyone is distracted. The strong presence of darkness makes the novel’s conclusion all the more significant because it happens in daylight. Before Collins is exposed, all the novel’s major events happen at night, including the accident that killed Avery’s parents, Sadie’s murder, and the Plus-One Party. When Avery runs from the house and into broad daylight, she literally brings what Collins and Parker did into the light, making it impossible for either man to hide anymore.
A House Is Not a Home
The terms “home” and “house” both refer to places where people live, but the words carry different emotional weight. A house is not a home until people live inside it and build a life there. Therefore, a home carries feelings of security, comfort, and belonging. Avery does not call the Lomans’ guesthouse her home, which suggests that while she lives in and has fond memories of the place, she does not truly feel like she belongs there. Avery does not truly settle in at the guesthouse because she does not feel like it is really hers; it even lacks personal touches that might make it homier, since Avery keeps her family mementos in a box in her closet rather than displaying them. The words Avery uses to describe the properties in Littleport (e.g., house versus home) is important because it reveals her true perspective on her social standing. She lives in the guesthouse like a guest because she has no family and no true home.
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By Megan Miranda
