If I Stay

Classical music not only defines Mia’s personality, but marks the major events of the novel while serving as the symbolic link between Mia’s past, present and future. The catalyst of Mia’s ambition, classical music defines not only her preference for timeless beauty and understated expression—a preference that she displays in her dress and her personality—but also defines her aspirations. Mia does not just want to play the cello, but to play it at a world-class level, on par with her idol, the cellist Yo-Yo Ma. 

Classical music first speaks to Mia in grade school, a decision that distinguishes her from her punk rock and anti-establishment parents. In middle school, classical music leads Mia to an important personal epiphany. Namely, that the long solitary hours spent practicing on her cello means she must learn to be comfortable alone; however, her time at the conservatory teaches her that the music can also connect her to a larger community of musicians, friends, and family.  Thus, music is both a medium of individual and communal expression. 

Later, in high school, her passion for music makes her uniquely attractive to Adam, and on their first date they attend a classical concert performed by Yo-Yo Ma. Music marks the culminating event of her life, as Beethoven’s Cello Sonata plays on the radio before and after the accident. Similarly, classical music plays an important role in helping Mia make the decision that lies at the heart of the novel, as Yo-Yo Ma’s cello plays in the background as she makes her final choice between staying and going.