45 pages • 1 hour read
Lana FergusonThe Fake Mate
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2023A 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
Soup
Soup is a recurring symbol that indicates Noah and Mackenzie’s growing feelings for one another, first appearing in Noah and Mackenzie’s initial discussion on how they will carry out their fake relationship. One of the first personal details that Noah learns about Mackenzie is that soup is her favorite food. Given that soup is a mixture of otherwise unrelated elements, it can be understood as a metaphor for the melding of the protagonists’ disparate personalities into a wholesome relationship. Later, soup becomes a marker of Noah’s growing love for Mackenzie, indicating his genuine romantic interest in Mackenzie and his determination to please her.
The Boogeyman
The Boogeyman—the hospital rumor mill’s epithet for Noah—is a recurring symbol within the narrative and illustrates The Harmful Ignorance of Stereotypes and The Lasting Impact of Trauma. Born of Noah’s public reputation, “the Boogeyman of Denver General” is a nickname given to Noah after a series of misconstrued occurrences suggest that he treats his coworkers harshly; the most notable example involves an incident in which he was seen in the presence of a crying nurse. While the nurse in question was only crying because her contact ripped, the staff assumed that Noah had been the cause of her tears. The undeserved nickname therefore illustrates the public’s habit of making assumptions without proper verification and allowing these misguided opinions to mythologize a single event and create a misrepresentation of a person’s personality. Privately, however, the nickname also refers to Noah’s dour demeanor and tendency to isolate himself from others. The nickname also alludes to his struggles with his designation as an alpha, for this designation is the source of much speculation and unverified prejudice, often unfairly marking him as an alleged aggressor who is incapable of restraint. By the end of the narrative, however, Noah has moved past the stigma of this nickname and is accumulating new friends and pursuing a love life with Mackenzie.
The Alpha Designation
The term “alpha” is a motif that supports The Tension Between Fate and Choice, The Harmful Ignorance of Stereotypes, and The Lasting Impact of Trauma. Within the author’s world-building, the term refers to a secondary designation for shifters: one that has historically been associated with images of aggression, dominance, and leadership. As Noah explains, “In another time, [the term] would mean that [the person] was destined to lead a pack, to carry on a clan” (18). In the context of the narrative, however, the alpha designation has been stereotyped as a largely negative and dangerous designation—so much so that the medical board of Denver General feels justified in quietly ostracizing and discriminating against alphas in their hiring practices.
For Noah, the term has a complicated, painful, and traumatic connotation, given that he has felt the need to hide his designation ever since he was a teenager, using powerful suppressants and isolating himself. By the end of the narrative, however, the term’s meaning changes for him, and he fully embraces this part of his identity, particularly in his sexual interactions with Mackenzie. He even asks that she call him “alpha” in their more passionate moments. The term therefore becomes associated with a more positive notion of self-acceptance, for rather than erasing this part of his identity, Noah learns to accept and welcome it.
