Previous
Chapter 9
Themes
and Colors
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Love, Aubrey, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Grief, Loss, and Healing
Love, Family, and Community
The Value of Routine
Forgiveness, Empathy, and Compassion
Summary
Analysis
Gram takes Aubrey shopping at the outlet mall for cold-weather clothing. Back home, Aubrey asks Gram what date school starts, and Gram is evasive. Eventually she admits that classes start September 7—and Aubrey is irate. She insists that she won’t do anything on that day, slamming her bedroom door shut and hiding under her covers. From outside the door, Gram tells her “You can’t seal that day off forever. You need to keep living.” But Aubrey doesn’t think she should have to: after all, Mom “sealed off everything outside her,” so it's only fair.
Gram seems to register why September 7 is so significant to Aubrey. Aubrey doesn’t disclose the date’s significance to readers, but later context clues will clear up the mystery. Regardless, Aubrey’s personal feelings about September 7 put her in a bind as she struggles to put Gram’s advice to “keep living” into practice. Aubrey’s reasoning that if Mom “sealed off everything outside her,” then Aubrey is entitled to do the same, is an understandable position for her to take, if not a helpful one. As a young person, Aubrey’s parent is her primary example for what to think and how to act—and it complicates things when she can’t count on Mom to be a positive role model.
Active
Themes
A couple days before school starts, Bridget approaches Aubrey and suggests they run off to the woods together for the day. She opens her backpack to show her the peanut butter sandwiches her mom made for them. Aubrey agrees, snatching her most recent letter to Jilly on her way out. Bridget spots the name on the outside of the envelope and asks who Jilly is. Though initially embarrassed, Aubrey confesses that Jilly was Savannah’s imaginary friend. Aubrey has started writing to her since coming to Gram’s, though she’s not exactly sure why. Bridget asks if writing to Jilly helps Aubrey. Aubrey initially thinks Bridget is laughing at her, but Bridget confirms that she’s not.
Aubrey at last confirms who Jilly is. That she confesses the truth to Bridget shows how comfortable she has become around Bridget: she trusts Bridget with personal secrets, knowing Bridget won’t share them with others or judge Aubrey for them. Bridget confirms as much. She also subtly pushes Aubrey to consider why Aubrey has taken to writing these letters to Jilly, suggesting that writing might offer Aubrey an outlet through which to process her complicated feelings.
Active
Themes
Eventually, Bridget and Aubrey reach a river. They sit down and eat their sandwiches. On the way back, Aubrey says she needs to find Mom. Bridget squeezes her hand in response. By the time they reach home, it’s cooler out. The girls decide to sleep outside that night, setting up sleeping bags on Gram’s porch. Gram orders them a pizza. The girls stay up late and chat. Aubrey is worried that Bridget already has friends at school and might lose interest in Aubrey, but Bridget admits she hasn’t made many school friends yet. She’s glad she and Aubrey have each other. Both girls feel relieved.
Active
Themes
The day before school starts, Aubrey writes a brief letter to Jilly in which she expresses the guilt she feels over not looking for Mom. She thought Mom, the parent, was supposed to look out for Aubrey—not the other way around. Now, she wonders if Mom needs help.
Active
Themes
Get the entire Love, Aubrey LitChart as a printable PDF.
"My students can't get enough of your charts and their results have gone through the roof." -Graham S.
