The Indian Princess (Symbol)
"The Indian Princess" refers to the shape of a figure that can be seen in the mountain range surrounding Buck's Peak. The Indian Princess is only visible in the summer, and thus its image becomes a measurement of the passing of time. When Tara leaves home, she remarks that she can no longer "search the horizon for the Princess." This comment reflects the process of Tara losing her connection to the mountain. Each time she returns to Buck's Peak on holiday, Tara feels "haunted" by the princess and experiences a troubling sensation of being pulled back into her old life.
Pygmalion (Allegory)
George Bernard Shaw's play Pygmalion is a modern retelling of the myth of Pygmalion and Galatea, made famous in Latin poet Ovid's Metamorphoses. Pygmalion is a sculptor who falls in love with one of his creations. But Shaw's play reverses the emphasis of the traditional myth; in his telling, the story is about a poor and uneducated woman named Eliza Doolittle, given self-confidence and agency through lessons from a linguistics professor. In Shaw's play, it is the woman's transformation, rather than the man's desire, that is the focus of the story.
When Tara is studying at Cambridge, one of her professors, Jonathan Steinberg, compares Tara to Eliza. Just as Eliza Doolittle defies the conventional notions of attraction and femininity, Tara is not the archetypal Cambridge scholar. Professor Steinberg attempts to use Pygmalion to convey to Tara that her insecurities are preventing her from realizing her potential. Like Eliza Doolittle, Tara should embrace her background in order to better grow into herself. As the story continues, it is clear that Tara heeds Prof. Steinberg's advice.
Herbs and Oils (Motif)
Gene's is suspicious of modern medicine and does not allow his children to receive immunizations or visit a doctor while sick. Throughout the memoir, Tara repeatedly refers to her mother's use of herbs and oils for their healing properties. The herbal ointments take over the family's home, contributing to the disorganization and clutter of the space. Even while Tara is studying at BYU, she makes numerous trips back to Buck's Peak in order to be healed by Faye's herbal treatments. Later in the story, these treatments serve another purpose—they help the family create a booming business and escape poverty. In this way, this motif demonstrates that the Westover family depends on herbs and oils for both their health and wealth.
The Junkyard (Symbol)
During Tara's childhood, the junkyard represents the economic engine of the home. The junkyard is vast and threatening, and it is characterized as a lawless "no man's land." Once Tara begins working with her brothers in the scrapyard, she becomes aware of its dangers first-hand. When Luke severely burns his leg at work, a young Tara is forced to treat him to the best of her abilities. On another occasion, Tara is forced to stick her hand into a saw-like machine called "The Shear" in order to retrieve a piece of metal. In both instances, Tara is deeply terrified. She vows to search for work in town to avoid injury or death at the scrapyard. This realization eventually leads Tara to her job at the grocery store.
Makeup (Symbol)
Makeup symbolizes Tara's transition from girlhood to womanhood. In addition, makeup allows Tara to embrace her femininity in a way that contradicts her father's view of the "modest, pious woman." When Tara begins using Audrey's makeup to prepare for her dates with Charles, Shawn notices and attempts to stifle Tara's freedom of expression. When Tara defends herself, Shawn responds by physically and emotionally abusing his sister. This experience traumatizes Tara and forever affects how she relates to her womanhood and sexuality.
