60 pages • 2 hours read
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Aria is astutely observes the colors all around her; this characteristic emphasizes the connection between her scientific self and artistic self. The vivid colors she notices mark the difference between her past and future.
The LGBTQ+ Pride flag is a rainbow flag, and Aria experiences a vibrant summer in California as she discovers her queerness. Her experience at the Dyke March in San Francisco is “a riot of color” (74) compared to the muted tones she associates with summers on Martha’s Vineyard. These colorful few weeks are a time when Aria is learning what it means to be more authentic rather than trying to fit in with everyone else.
Part of Aria’s summer journey is leaning into her artistic inclinations, and she experiments with processing her thoughts through paint. Joan notices that her first painting incorporates “high-contrast colors […] which suggests something dramatic” (146); Aria’s intense emotions and life-changing revelations come through in her artwork, even if she isn’t confident in what she’s doing.
Photography is a recurring motif not just because it’s a critical part of Joan’s identity as an artist but because Aria learns to see certain truths about people in her life through photographs. The photos that Jacob takes and posts reveal his duplicitous character as well as the double standard of shame versus pride that exists for women and men. Although the consequences of the photos were unjust for Aria, they led to her life-changing experience in Woodacre.
When Aria discovers old photos of her parents, they offer her a glimpse into a past when her parents were still in love. The double-exposed photograph that Joan had taken of Alexis helps Aria see her mother in a new light, “the way she looked on the inside” (191)—an intimate version of her that Aria rarely has experienced.
Finding Joan’s Rolleiflex camera gives Aria a chance to experiment with her own photography and to capture the last photos of Joan before her death. Looking through the viewfinder reminds Aria of her telescope, and both instruments act as a type of portal for her, changing her perception of time and place. The similarity of looking through a camera and a telescope underscores the subconscious connection Aria feels between her love of science and love of art.
Although not critical to the plot of this novel, Lo chose to include Lily Hu’s marriage to her partner Kath—a connection between Last Night at the Telegraph Club and A Scatter of Light. Seeing photos of Lily and Kath affirms Aria’s own queer identity and reminds her that her queer predecessors’ fight for visibility allows Aria the freedom to exist without fear.
Lo incorporates several popular songs of the 2010s to both ground the piece in a specific time and place (2010s America) and to emphasize the mood or subtext of a scene. At Haley’s graduation party, Aria hears Robin Thicke’s “Blurred Lines” playing when she begins to interact with Jacob. The lyrics of the chorus read: “I know you want it / But you’re a good girl / The way you grab me / Must wanna get nasty,” and the speaker mentions hating the “blurred lines” between him and the person he’s singing about. At the time of its popularity, this song received criticism for promoting nonconsensual sexual behavior, which Aria experiences when Jacob takes her photo.
After the march in San Francisco, Aria feels uneasy about her newfound queerness, which she compares to Frank Ocean’s “Thinkin Bout You.” In this song, the speaker can’t stop thinking about a past relationship, telling that person, “Yes of course I remember, how could I forget how you feel? / You know you were my first time, a new feel.” At this point in the story, Aria is beginning to explore her feelings for Steph, the first person to make Aria question her sexuality. Frank Ocean has spoken publicly about his queer identity, and listeners have speculated that this song is about a queer relationship.
In addition, Lo includes songs by Icona Pop, Rihanna, and Nicki Minaj, all of which anchor Aria to a specific memory: driving in Mel’s Jeep to San Francisco and dancing at Roxy’s party—experiences that many readers can relate to.
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