57 pages • 1 hour read
Brodi Ashton, Cynthia Hand, Jodi MeadowsMy Lady Jane
Fiction | Novel | YA | Published in 2016A 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
Shakespeare’s Poetry
Shakespeare’s poetry is an important motif throughout the book, with quotations from a range of his works presented as Gifford’s own compositions. This scattering of Shakespearean references adds to the book’s tongue-in-cheek approach to the genre of historical fiction, incorporating the most famous cultural figure of the early modern period into the story nearly 50 years before he was actually writing. They use the most familiar frame of reference for a modern readership to create a cultural landscape for the plot.
Aligning Gifford with this revered figure imbues him with romance and intrigue, adding to his appeal as Jane’s love interest. His famous “compositions” build up to the reveal that Gifford is the real Shakespeare. The authors make a tongue-in-cheek reference to the recurring questioning of Shakespeare’s real identity, presenting the writer as a man who was executed before the historical figure was born, and who could turn into a horse. The detail that G is assisted in his writing by Jane’s extensive book knowledge offers a nod to Shakespeare’s impressive and wide-ranging knowledge (413), which a minority of critics have argued is beyond a typical Elizabethan grammar school education.
Gifford “composes” many lines of Shakespeare through the course of the book. These include As You Like It (78, 386), Romeo and Juliet (81, 118, 391), Henry IV Part 2 (194), Hamlet (240), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (332, 386), Julius Caesar (332), Macbeth (332), Richard III (394), and various sonnets, including 145 (197) and 18 (412). Gifford turns to his poetry for comfort or processing in all kinds of situations. The range of plays the authors employ and the range of scenarios reflect the universality of Shakespeare’s enormous body of surviving works: G finds a quote for every occasion, from romance to hunting down a mythical bear.
The authors use Sonnet 18 in full, reimagining it as a composition from Gifford to Jane. This places their romance into an epic, poetic scale, suggesting their love has lived on through these famous words. This is the only piece quoted in full rather than using a few isolated lines, reflecting that G has now fully embraced this part of his character, sharing it openly with Jane for the first time.
The Ethian Animal Forms
The transformation into an animal is both a literal feature in the plot and a symbol used throughout the book to illuminate Finding One’s True Self and The Complexities of Freedom and Power. The ability to change forms gives people greater freedom, often offering characters a way to continue on their journey or support each other—such as Edward flying from the tower, Gracie stealing food in her fox form, or Bess sneaking in to help Edward as a cat. However, controlling these changes is dependent on one’s mental state: Those who are able to do this, such as Pet, Gran, and Gracie, explain to the three struggling protagonists that they need to do mental and emotional work on themselves to gain this ability.
The individual animals symbolize defining features of the person. Gran’s skunk reflects her outspoken disregard for social niceties. Gracie is a fox, showing her intelligence and strong survival skills. Bess is a cat, as she is intelligent and pragmatic, with an innate charisma. Pet’s dog form reflects her loyalty and service. Edward’s kestrel reflects his love of freedom, symbolizing that he is not naturally suited to kingship: He loves to fly free too much, and he notes that the kestrel is not a bird associated with royalty. G’s horse form shows that he loves to run away from his human feelings of inadequacy while Jane’s ferret form shows her independence and joyfulness.
This phenomenon of the animal reflecting an inner truth reflects the need for characters to have self-knowledge and self-acceptance to master the change. Jane notes that “it was surprising how easy she found the change now that she knew she could do it. Now that she knew what she truly wanted” (366). Her ability to transform symbolizes the importance of understanding oneself and having confidence in oneself.
Jane and G’s Ethian transformations also contain symbolism in the timing of their changes. They are in their shapes at alternating times, with G a horse by day and Jane a ferret by night. While their changes work this way, they only have fleeting moments as humans together, symbolizing the unresolved issues remaining in their relationship, as they cannot fully be together. However, they also mirror each other, since they work well together even when one of them is not human or able to speak. They respect and love each other’s animal forms but also retain their usual jokiness toward each other, symbolizing that they love and accept each other’s true selves. Eventually, each gains the ability to control their transformations, showing that their acceptance of themselves allows them to be fully present in their relationship.
Jane’s Books
Jane’s books are an important motif and a reflection of her character. She reads them constantly as a way to expand her world, which is often determined by others’ choices: She takes them on every carriage journey and brings a supply to any new location she is sent to. They reflect her desire for escapism, her naturally curious nature, and her love of learning, as she reads books on all topics from history to agriculture. Her relationship with books shows the freedom that reading can offer. The authors use the books to connect her to her historical counterpart, as the historical Lady Jane Grey was also noted for her love of reading (See: Background).
The authors use book titles to drop hints about the plot and contribute to the overall setting. For example, Jane’s books on Ethians help round out the lore around this magic and its role in society: “An Analysis of Ethians’ Paintings and their Impact on Society: Volume Three” (111) suggests that Ethians’ magic connects them to their spiritual or artistic selves, and that, despite their persecution, they have contributed to culture. Early on, she reads “Wilderness Survival for Courtiers” (28), foreshadowing her and G’s escape into the wilderness and contributing to her navigation of this scenario.
The books also play an important role in the plot: Jane’s knowledge often helps her save the day. For example, she knows how to use rope to tie up Dudley and Bash, and she is able to find edible berries for her and G to eat. At times, Jane’s book knowledge is a source of humor, as it is juxtaposed against the reality of a situation. When G and Edward prepare to combat the bear, the information she gives them adds to their fear by highlighting how dangerous the bear really is, as the books all focus on how to escape a bear rather than how to fight it. However, overall, Jane’s practical use of her books reflects their usefulness and highlights the value of knowledge and learning.
The authors also show how Jane’s books have contributed to Jane’s sense of The Importance of Social Responsibility by expanding her worldview and supporting her interest in other people’s lives and problems. She reads a lot about Ethians, shaping her idealism about them and her desire to defend their rights. When she discovers G’s horse form, she learns about horses through her books, allowing her to relate to his existence in this shape and care for him properly. She talks about this even before they really get to know each other, showing that her books contribute to her overall thoughtfulness and concern for others.
