The Inescapable Past: A Thematic Analysis
What This Theme Explores: In Alice Feeney's Rock Paper Scissors, the theme of the inescapable past is a haunting force that dictates the characters' present realities. The past isn't a collection of memories but an active presence shaping identities, fueling motivations, and poisoning relationships. Each character is trapped by secrets, traumas, and decisions that refuse to stay buried. The narrative demonstrates that attempts to run from or rewrite history are futile; the past resurfaces, often with violent and devastating consequences.
How It Develops
The theme of the inescapable past is meticulously woven throughout the novel, beginning as a subtle undercurrent of marital tension and culminating in explosive revelations rooted in historical events.
Initially, the theme is introduced through Adam Wright's recurring nightmare about his mother's death, establishing a foundational trauma that haunts him. The anniversary trip to Scotland with his wife, Amelia Wright, is presented as an attempt to escape the recent troubles in their marriage. However, the journey propels them into an older, more dangerous history. The anniversary letters, written by a narrator we believe to be Amelia, peel back the layers of their decade-long relationship, revealing past grievances and secrets.
As the story progresses, the setting of Blackwater Chapel becomes a physical embodiment of the theme. Its dark history of witch trials and burials mirrors the buried secrets of the characters. The discovery of Henry Winter's grave, the child's bedroom filled with robins, and the anniversary gifts found in the secret study serve as artifacts from the past that violently intrude upon the present. The past is no longer just a memory; it is a tangible, threatening force within the chapel's walls.
The climax reveals that the entire plot is a direct consequence of past events. Robin's letter exposes Amelia's hidden past and her role in the death of Adam's Mother. Adam's final confession reveals his own culpability, proving that the deepest secrets are often self-inflicted. The narrative concludes by showing that no character has escaped their past; they have either been destroyed by it, sought revenge for it, or been forced to confront its ugliest truths.
Key Examples
Specific moments and narrative devices powerfully illustrate how the past relentlessly shapes the present.
-
Adam's Recurring Nightmare: The most persistent manifestation of the theme is Adam's dream of the "woman in the red kimono" being killed in a hit-and-run. This traumatic memory from his childhood is not a passive recollection but an active torment that influences his waking life and relationships. Adam's dependence on Amelia to soothe him during these nightmares highlights how the past dictates his present emotional state.
‘You’re OK,’ I say, taking his clammy hand in mine. ‘There is no woman in a red kimono. You’re here with me. You’re safe.’ Lies can heal as well as hurt.
-
The Anniversary Letters: The letters, which the reader initially believes are from Amelia, serve as a structural device to bring the past directly into the narrative. The Linen anniversary letter, detailing the trauma of a miscarriage, highlights a pivotal moment of shared grief that ultimately drove Adam and Robin apart, creating a wound that never healed. The letters reveal how unresolved grief and unspoken resentments can fester and poison a relationship over time.
-
The Secret Study: Henry Winter's study is a time capsule. The discovery of the anniversary gifts—the paper crane, the iron key, the copper pennies—are tangible relics of Adam and Robin's shared history. Their presence proves that while Adam may have moved on, his past with Robin has been preserved and weaponized. The study symbolizes how the past can be meticulously curated and used as a tool for manipulation and revenge.
-
The Final Revelations: The climax is built entirely on revealing buried truths. Robin's letter to Adam exposes Amelia's true identity and her connection to his mother's death. However, the ultimate twist reveals Adam's own inescapable past:
When I looked up, I saw my mother. And she saw me.
This final confession shows that the most deeply buried past is Adam's own guilt, which has secretly defined his entire adult life. The revelation that Adam witnessed his mother's death and did nothing to help her underscores the idea that the past can shape one's identity in profound and often destructive ways.
Character Connections
Each main character is fundamentally defined by their relationship with their past.
-
Adam Wright: Adam is the character most visibly haunted by his past. The trauma of his mother's death has shaped his anxieties, his nightmares, and his inability to trust. His prosopagnosia (face blindness) serves as a powerful metaphor for his inability to "see" or confront the truth of his own history and the identities of those closest to him. Adam's condition symbolizes his emotional blindness to the past, preventing him from fully understanding his present.
-
Robin: Robin's entire motivation is a product of her past. Her traumatic childhood under the thumb of her cruel father, Henry Winter, and the profound betrayal by Adam and Amelia, fuel her intricate plot for revenge. She returns to Blackwater Chapel, her childhood home, to force a confrontation with the past she could never escape. Robin's meticulous planning and manipulation demonstrate how the past can drive a person to seek retribution, even at great personal cost.
-
Amelia Wright: Amelia has spent her life running from a single, catastrophic event in her past. Her decision to steal a car as a teenager led to the death of Adam's mother, a secret that compels her to change her identity and insinuate herself into Adam's life in a twisted attempt at atonement. Her past is a crime for which she is constantly, secretly, on trial. Amelia's actions highlight the lengths to which people will go to escape their past, even if it means living a life built on lies and deception.
Symbolism
Feeney employs powerful symbols to represent the pervasive and inescapable nature of the past.
-
Blackwater Chapel: The primary setting is the most significant symbol. As a converted church with a history of witch trials and a graveyard on its grounds, it is a place where the past is literally part of the foundation. It becomes a prison where the characters are forced to confront the histories they, and the building itself, have tried to bury. The chapel's architecture and history serve as a constant reminder of the past's enduring presence.
-
The Red Kimono: This garment is a potent symbol of Adam's unresolved trauma. When Robin places it on the bed, it signifies that his past is not just a nightmare but a present-day threat, brought to life by someone who knows his deepest fears. The kimono represents the tangible manifestation of Adam's trauma, highlighting how the past can intrude upon the present in unexpected and unsettling ways.
-
The Anniversary Letters: These letters are a literal archive of a marriage's past. They document love, hope, resentment, and betrayal, serving as a written record that proves the past can be preserved, reread, and ultimately used as a weapon. The letters symbolize the power of the written word to preserve and manipulate the past, demonstrating how memories can be selectively curated and used to inflict pain.
Author's Message
Through the theme of the inescapable past, Alice Feeney suggests that our histories are not something we can simply outrun or forget. The past is an active and formative force that molds our identities and dictates our futures. Feeney argues that buried secrets and unresolved traumas fester, eventually resurfacing with destructive power. The novel serves as a dark cautionary tale, implying that peace can only be achieved by confronting the past, no matter how ugly it is. However, that confrontation is not always healing; in Rock Paper Scissors, it is an act of vengeance, demonstrating that sometimes the only way to escape the past is to destroy it—and everyone connected to it.
Contemporary Relevance
The theme of an inescapable past resonates deeply in the modern world. In an era of digital footprints and social media, where past actions and statements can be resurrected at any moment, the idea that one's history is permanent and accessible is more relevant than ever. The novel also taps into a contemporary understanding of generational and childhood trauma, exploring how events from our formative years can have a lasting impact on our mental health, relationships, and life choices. Feeney's exploration of how people try to curate new identities to escape their histories mirrors the way individuals often present idealized versions of themselves online, reminding us that the truth of our past is always lurking just beneath the surface.