Belly (Symbol)
"Belly" is not only our protagonist's nickname, but also figures into the symbolic meaning of the novel: Belly herself recognizes that her name evokes little "plump children." With such a connotation, Belly's nickname lends both herself and others an identity or evocation of childishness that she wishes to shed. When, for example, Cam calls her "Belle," she feels more beautiful, more adult.
Whirlpool (Symbol)
The whirlpool, made by Belly, Conrad, and Jeremiah’s bodies in motion, is a symbol that represents both playful childishness and its termination in adulthood or coming-of-age. The three adolescents jump into the pool and behave like “kids” one more time before Belly must leave, all three recognizing that this will be the final chapter of their childhood summers. Regardless of whether the three convene again at Cousins Beach next year, things will be different. A whirlpool pulls things into its currents, and Belly embraces this pull, allowing herself to literally (in this moment) and symbolically (in the grander scheme of her life) “let the current carry [her].” At the same time, the image of the whirlpool also contributes to a foreshadowing of conflict to come—created by the clash of conflicting currents, whirlpools can carry bodies entrapped in them in dangerous directions. If Belly has surrendered herself to the whirlpool of life, different, potentially dangerous currents may yet carry her away.
Music and Radio (Motif)
The novel begins with a joyful scene: the radio plays Tom Petty's "Free Fallin'" in Steven's car; Belly and Laurel sing along. Music becomes a recurrent motif signifying joy in various moments of Belly's life. In fact, some of the moments in which she finds herself falling in love with Conrad are backgrounded to particular soundtracks. When, for example, Conrad steps up to teach her how to do the "shrug" to beach music during Susannah's impromptu dance party, Belly feels "dizzy, [w]ith pure, absolute joy." In another instance, Conrad introduces Belly to Pearl Jam, "stretching out his headphones so [she] had one and he had the other. [Their] heads touched...Conrad was as happy and enthralled as if he had discovered them himself. I'd never heard of them, but at that moment, it was the best song I'd ever heard." The connection that the two create over music makes sense—as a former dancer, Belly appreciates music and dance at many moments, and so does the guitar-playing Conrad.
Driver's License
The summer that Belly turns pretty is also the summer she turns sixteen—the age at which many American teenagers begin to drive. Belly is no exception—the novel begins with banter between Steven, who's driving the family up to Cousins, and Belly, who in her brother's opinion "shouldn't even be allowed to drive." At this point, Belly has ostensibly already gotten her learner's permit, but not yet a license allowing her to drive alone. She says that she needs to practice more to get her license, but Steven is unwilling to coach her. Instead, Jeremiah steps in to teach her. The driver's license represents freedom and independence, a first step into adulthood that Belly wishes to attain. It seems that those around her—Conrad, Jeremiah, Steven, and Cam—all already have this freedom, leaving her to scramble to get it as well.
Cancer (Symbol)
In our collective imagination, cancer is often thought of as a slow, creeping growth or spread of bad cells throughout the body—through the growth of tumors or a more insidious metastasis. While Susannah's cancer literally represents a slow deterioration of her health, it can also take on a symbolic meaning in the grander scheme of the novel: Belly's summers at Cousins have been blissful and fantasy-like, but just as a cancer corrupts a healthy body and slowly replaces good with bad cells, a cancer has come to invade Belly's romantic ideal of summer. With Susannah's illness, Conrad's newfound moodiness, and various changes in herself, Belly no longer believes that this or any other coming summer will be like the summers she has experienced thus far.
