Oona Out of Order

Guitars are a constant throughout the novel, but their symbolism varies as Oona evolves. In the beginning of the novel, the guitars on Oona’s wall are associated with her boyfriend Dale and Oona’s love for him, but Oona’s suspicion that she would be a good guitarist hints that they are in fact symbols of Oona’s unfulfilled potential and the importance of Being True to Oneself; they represent the passion she has set aside at the request of her boyfriend. When her husband, Edward, steals some of her special guitars, he is essentially robbing her of her potential to be self-confident and follow her passion.

Later, when Madeleine suggests that Dale betrayed Oona by keeping her from the guitar, the revelation prompts Oona to get lessons. This unlocks something inside her; when she embraces her love of the instrument, she also embraces her own power and finds the strength to divorce Edward. The next time she encounters Dale, she firmly tells him that she will keep playing the guitar even if it means she isn’t in the band and loses his love. Her refusal to compromise her true self shows the dramatic change in her character.