67 pages • 2 hours read
Tamara Ireland StoneEvery Last Word
Fiction | Novel | YA | Published in 2015A 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
Multiple Names
The theme of the bifurcated self is underscored with the motif of name changing—that is, a character who has two different names that changes depending on the context. There are several characters outside of Samantha/Sam that have two different names: AJ/Andrew Olsen, Sue/Shrink-Sue, and Caroline/Caroline Madsen. The rejection or embrace of a name can indicate which of the selves is being seen and accepted. Caroline, Sue, AJ, and the members of the Poet's Corner embrace “Sam,” while the Crazy Eights reject the nickname: “‘It was nice to meet you, Sam.’ Sam. Last year, I asked the Eights to call me Sam. Kaitlyn laughed and said that’s her dog’s name, and Olivia said it’s a guy’s name, and Alexis declared that she would never, ever go by Alex” (28). Toward the end of the narrative, Samantha asks Hailey to call her "Sam," to which the Crazy Eights member accepts. Sue/Shrink-Sue is a playful duality, but nonetheless underscores the notion of two selves. Sue is the devoted woman who comes to Samantha's aid, while "Shrink-Sue" is the therapists with whom Samantha holds weekly sessions. With AJ/Andrew, his duality is rooted in the past: Andrew is the stutterer that was mercilessly teased in fourth grade, while AJ is the poet.
Words
Words, both written and spoken, are the currency with which emotional nourishment is expressed in Every Last Word. Caroline “feeds” Samantha the words she’s searching for: "When I get stuck, she feeds me word after word until we find the perfect one that sums up what I want him to know" (91). The concept of the “right words” is often discussed: “I’m curious about Caroline. She said it would be easy to get me inside, as long as we found the right words. She was wrong[...]All those colorful slips of paper and incredible worlds I’ll never see again” (96).
In expressing her feelings for AJ, words even take on a life of their own, so freighted they are with emotional intensity: “As soon as I part my lips, I
hear the words slip out, like they’re floating away from me all by themselves. ‘I like you too much.’” (220). It is no coincidence, then, that Samantha’s love intensifies when she is literally surrounded by words in Poet’s Corner, the place where new words are created: "We’re surrounded by words. Nothing about this moment could be more perfect, because I’m absolutely in love with this room and the people in it, on the wall and otherwise" (269). Again, the power of words is from not only their beauty, but the message behind them and the ultimate desire to communicate and connect. Samantha’s intimacy with AJ intensifies when she realizes that their talking, rather than driving him away, brings him closer to her: “Caroline’s been giving me words, and they’ve worked. But they were never her words. They were always mine"(331).
Internal Monologue
Every Last Word is written in the first person from Samantha’s perspective. Throughout the book, italicized passages indicate Samantha’s innermost thoughts. With the book’s primary themes surrounding mental illness and our “truest” selves, the author takes the reader as close as possible to the core parts of Samantha’s identity, revealing the inner workings of Samantha’s mind. Using italicized passages to indicate a deeper level to Samantha is one such tactic of doing so, and this also helps to underscore her mental state in regard to her OCD.
Superficiality
A cornerstone of the Crazy Eights toxicity is their commitment to superficiality, which serves as a motif throughout the book to emphasize the theme of true friendship by showing what real friendship is not. From the anti-aging treatment given to 16-year-old Samantha at Alexis’s spa birthday party to Samantha’s immediate desire to give Caroline a makeover when she first meets her, the Crazy Eights are associated with a brand of superficiality unique to teenage girls.
Through this motif, the reader can trace the evolution of Samantha’s character. In the beginning, when she first meets Caroline, she takes note of her shabby appearance: “I take her in, starting with her feet. Brown hiking boots. Baggy, faded jeans” (27). Samantha also opts to forgo makeup after swimming with AJ. As they become emotionally and physically closer, Samantha no longer relies on the societal constructs imposed by the Crazy Eights or media like Teen Vogue. By the end of the book, Samantha actually resembles Caroline more than she does the Crazy Eights, at least in terms of wardrobe: “I’m wearing jeans and a plain, long-sleeve T-shirt. My hair is long and straight, but I didn’t flat iron it or anything. And I’m hardly wearing any makeup [...] This feels more like me. And I have an extra hour to sleep now” (348).
