53 pages • 1 hour read
Linda UrbanA Crooked Kind of Perfect
Linda UrbanFiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 2007A 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
The Organ
The organ is the most prominent symbol in the story and in Zoe’s life, and it represents Making the Most of Imperfection. Zoe’s dream begins with visions of herself playing Carnegie Hall as a celebrated pianist, but instead, her father brings home an electric organ. Zoe is left to make do with what she has been given and to find a way to work toward her dream through a highly unlikely and uninvited means. Zoe refers to the instrument as a “wood-grained, vinyl-seated, wheeze-bag organ” (3), and she sees it as a tired, almost silly instrument compared to the grandiosity and elegance of a piano.
Zoe’s opinion of the organ starts to change as she learns to play it. She discovers how fun it can be to play around with different beats and sounds, to make up her own lyrics, and to give her dad something to dance to. Zoe’s skills improve quickly with practice and instruction, and she advances enough to be able to take place in an organ competition. While it isn’t Carnegie Hall, it is a big step in the right direction, one Zoe ends up taking very seriously. She comes to understand that music is music, and it’s more about who is playing it than the instrument it’s being played on. The organ also serves as a metaphor for Zoe’s family: She could not choose her family in life, and while it has its problems, it’s the family she has and the family she loves.
Music
Music is a key motif that spans throughout the novel and across the various aspects of Zoe’s life. It illuminates her experiences and acts as a metaphor for her perception of herself, her family, and the world. Zoe plays the organ but wishes she played the piano; she doesn’t complain, however, instead Making the Most of Imperfection and doing her best to learn and enjoy the organ. Playing the organ connects Zoe to her father, as they often play, sing, and dance together, and Zoe begins to experience music as something fun and relaxing. Meanwhile, Zoe connects to her mother through a shared love of classical music; Zoe enjoys listening to music with her mother and discussing it with her.
Zoe wants to be a prodigy pianist but isn’t really sure what that entails, so she goes into her organ lessons with flawed expectations and ends up disappointed more than once. Zoe has to find her passion and move beyond the need to just play perfectly. She must practice, learn to have patience with herself, and allow her creativity to show through in how she plays. Zoe starts to feel like the music is part of her and feels this way again when she hears Mona play. Every part of Zoe’s life is connected to her love of music.
The Piano
The piano is a symbol of “how it was supposed to be” and the way Zoe envisions her life and her future (1). Zoe sees a piano as “glamorous. Sophisticated. Worldly” and wants to embody those traits herself (2). She sees the piano as a symbol of high society and the most desirable type of fame. Zoe’s life is, in many ways, the opposite of what she wants it to be, and the piano represents her aspirations of transforming her life. Zoe’s desire to be a star pianist stems in part from naïve conceptions of perfection, and she initially expects to be an instant prodigy who needs little practice or time.
Even as Zoe starts to appreciate aspects of playing the electric organ, she continues to compare it to the piano in her mind, right up to the day of the competition when she thinks about how it’s nothing like Carnegie Hall. Zoe feels like the “organ” in the world and wants to be the “piano.” This is manifested when Emma, who has the lifestyle Zoe envies, receives a grand piano. Zoe compares herself to others and always ends up disappointed. When Zoe starts to see that perfection is not the most important part of being a pianist, she starts to let go of that need for perfection, though she holds onto the idea of playing the piano. Eventually, Zoe gets what she wants, and it is in large part because of her commitment to playing the organ that she ends up receiving a piano in the end.
Toe Socks
Toe socks are a key symbol in Zoe’s story, although they only appear briefly. The entire exchange surrounding the toe socks turns out to be important in defining Zoe and Emma’s friendship and in symbolizing Zoe as a unique individual who doesn’t quite fit in with the other girls. Zoe used to wear toe socks all the time, and doing so was how she first met Emma in third grade. Emma was wearing toe socks, too, and the girls instantly bonded over this quirky trait that they shared. Zoe thinks it will be a good idea to buy Emma some toe socks for her birthday to remind her of that day, but the result is the opposite of what she hopes for. Zoe also buys herself a pair and wears them with pride at first, admiring them on the way to the party and loving how they happen to be all her favorite colors.
When Zoe gets to the party, however, she sees that everyone is wearing the same clogs and nobody has socks on at all, let alone toe socks. Emma doesn’t say it aloud but clearly finds Zoe’s gift to be a disappointment, and Zoe goes home feeling even more out of place than she did before. It takes time for Zoe to realize that being different and standing out can be a positive thing. Additionally, Zoe’s experiences with Emma and the dissolving of their friendship turns out to be a demonstration of Friendship as a Pillar for Growth because Zoe finds stronger friendships elsewhere.
