58 pages • 1 hour read
One Day in December
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Symbols & Motifs
Holidays
The book is aptly titled One Day in December because December is the month that opens and closes the novel. It is one day in December when Laurie and Jack meet eyes on the bus, and one day in December when they finally reunite as lovers. The holiday season that starts in December is an important motif in the novel. Laurie’s experience with Christmas is usually that of stress, and with each approaching New Year’s Eve she is reminded of her shortcomings. Even when the majority of important events in Laurie or Jack’s life occurs in the summer or autumn months, the New Year always marks the start of a new cycle, while Christmas marks the end of that cycle.
Swimming
The metaphor of swimming is used throughout the novel by both Jack and Laurie as a way of describing growing through the trials and tribulations of life. When Laurie and Jack are in their early twenties, they describe swimming against the current, a symbolic way of saying their lives are stressful and that they’re not getting where they need to be. Later in the novel, when they have their lives under more control, they feel as though they are treading water—they’re not moving forward, but they’re also not being pushed backward. Then, when their lives become calmer but not happier, they express the need to swim again. They miss the struggle, the dreams, that motivate them to swim through the strong current.
Truth
Truth is a motif that propels the themes of this novel. Truth as a concept is explored in many symbolic ways. Truth is agonized over when Laurie and Jack keep their feelings secret from Sarah, or when Laurie can sense that Oscar is being secretive. The truth symbolically holds back all the characters in this novel from their true destinies. The other way in which truth is explored is through the overarching theme of true love. The truth in love is complicated, and this book presents a theoretical exercise in wondering how one can really know what is true love or what is almost true love.
Travel
Travel factors heavily into the plot and character development in this novel. The first journey is Laurie’s to Thailand, where she describes developing new muscles and going through an epiphany. Laurie’s travel to Thailand is not just physical; she also develops new metaphorical muscles and discovers a new layer of self. Next, Jack moves to Scotland in a journey that parallels Laurie’s. He, too, describes developing new muscles and finding a new sense of freedom, a breath of fresh air. Sarah moves to Australia to be with Luke, a new liberation for a woman who has been focused solely on career. Oscar travels weekly to Brussels, providing his character the space to grow away and apart from Laurie. Within the framework of this novel, travel is a motif that allows for new starts and new turns in character development.
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