42 pages • 1 hour read
H. D. CarltonWhere's Molly
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2024A 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
Molly’s Bitemark Scars
Content Warning: This novel includes graphic violence, murder, sexual assault, sexual abuse, and drug overdose.
Molly’s body is covered in bitemark-shaped scars, with one distinctive scar placed just below her eye. These scars are the result of Raymond, her father, sexually assaulting her as a child. The scars are a physical manifestation of that moment of abuse, but they also serve as a symbol for the trauma that Molly has experienced throughout her life. Beyond the origin of the scars, they represent the traumatic childhood Molly experienced, as well as the struggle she faced in trying to save Layla from the same fate. The scars, as a manifestation of her father’s violence, likewise highlight the betrayal that Molly faced when Raymond sold her into trafficking, as well as the subsequent abuses Molly endured in Francesca’s house. All of Molly’s trauma and suffering is encapsulated in the scars, which keep her from hiding her identity and her past from others.
At the same time, Cage refers to the scar on Molly’s face as “a testament to the horrors she survived” (65), emphasizing the fact that Molly has endured these traumas, coming out of them stronger, if less trusting. Following this observation, Molly’s scars, though reminders of her traumatic past, also show her strength and endurance. The scars remain, but the experiences they represent are in the past, and Molly’s journey in the novel is centered on overcoming the emotional weight of those experiences. However, the scars are permanent, and as Molly moves forward in her journey of recovery, they will remain to show the progress she has made.
Pigs
Molly operates a pig farm, on which she disposes of dead bodies for Legion by feeding them to her pigs: Chili, Dill, Paprika, Garlic, and Oregano. While the names of the pigs are intended to be humorous, they also highlight the pigs as symbols for the balance maintained by organizations like Legion, since these flavors balance each other. Molly comments on how “we’re already surrounded by animals more than capable of tearing us apart and devouring every last fucking bit of our flesh and bones” (1), and though she is talking about the pigs in this passage, her comment applies to men like Raymond and Rocco, and even to men like Legion and Cage. Such men can kill, torture, and maim each other, as well as innocent victims, to achieve their own ends. The pigs, then, are representative of the destructive elements of humanity.
Molly’s pigs also perform a crucial service to Legion, beginning with their personal service to Molly in eating her father’s corpse. They remove these people from existence, freeing their survivors from their abuse. As Molly feeds her father to the pigs, they act as a solution to Molly’s problem, saving her from ever needing to face her father or any consequences for killing him. In this way, the pigs become more aligned with men like Legion and Cage, who step in to help vulnerable people by removing their tormentors and helping they elude capture. Although Molly initially characterizes the pigs as wild animals, they serve a valuable purpose in helping those who need an escape.
Running Away
There are two distinct forms of running away that constitute the motif in the novel: physically fleeing and emotionally retreating. In each case, Molly feels that she is protecting herself from danger, but it is only when physically fleeing that Molly helps herself. For example, Molly runs away from Francesca’s house, saving herself from human trafficking and abuse, during which she also runs away from Devin and Latoya’s home, protecting them from questioning and possible pursuit. Molly questions whether running away from Layla by moving to Alaska was a good decision, but Cage and the events of the novel support the idea that Layla has a better life because Molly trusted her with Margot and Colin. These instances of running away all emphasize the importance of survival and safety, as Molly runs away from abusers and traffickers to protect herself and her family.
The other form of running away, emotionally retreating, is framed as a detriment to Molly’s development as a character, and yet it is intrinsically tied to the other half of this motif, protecting herself. When Molly meets Cage, she chooses to have sex with him to experience consensual sex, but she does not prepare herself for the emotional connection that forms between them. Later in her life, Molly struggles to connect with Cage because her instinct is to run away from him, just as she has fled other dangerous men and situations before. However, emotional withdrawal is more symptomatic of the trauma that Molly has experienced, and her continued efforts to run away become a hindrance to her progress as a character. In each form of running away, Molly is trying to protect herself, but she ends up trying to flee her emotional connection with Cage, holding her back from developing more fully as a person.
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By H. D. Carlton
