44 pages • 1 hour read
Lana FergusonThe Nanny
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2003A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Symbols & Motifs
Cassie’s Scar
When she was a child, Cassie received a scar on her back from spilling boiling water while trying to make dinner on her own. She shows the scar to few people, and only one of her subscribers on OnlyFans ever saw it. Cassie’s scar is in many ways a symbol of her past, which emotionally scars her into adulthood. She got the scar because no adult was home to make her dinner, and thus it symbolizes her neglect as a child. Like her past, her scar is something that Cassie tries to keep hidden; therefore, she feels vulnerable when Aiden accidentally catches a glimpse of it on OnlyFans. This scar also bonds Cassie and Aiden, who at this time only know each other as Cici and A, as both scars come from what they see as embarrassing cooking accidents. Cici and A grow closer together the more they learn what they have in common, such as their shared loneliness.
Though the shared scars bring them together, Cassie’s scar also keeps them apart as her scar is a marker of her true identity. Cassie struggles to not let Aiden see her back as they begin their relationship. This physical struggle mirrors her emotional struggle as she hides a big part of her history and her shared history with Aiden. When she sees his scar, she immediately knows about his past on OnlyFans and their previous relationship. Similarly, when Aiden eventually sees Cassie’s scar, he finally recognizes her as Cici and learns about her past. As a whole, Cassie’s scar is a symbol of both her childhood and her past on OnlyFans; she must come to embrace both to have a fruitful relationship with Aiden.
Sex
Sex is a common motif across the romance genre, bringing characters together and highlighting their closeness and passion for one another. This is true in The Nanny, where Cassie and Aiden’s real-life romantic relationship begins with their shared sexual attraction to one another. Initially, the motif of sex represents the awkwardness of cohabitation, emphasizing the couple’s professional relationship. Living together, Cassie and Aiden find it hard to avoid states of undress and awkward conversations about one another bringing home guests. They struggle with their immediate attraction to one another, trying to ignore it as it could ruin their professional relationship.
Once they begin a sexual relationship, Aiden and Cassie grow closer together, and sex comes to represent their physical and emotional bond and highlight their longstanding compatibility. Sex scenes are often paired with important emotional conversations throughout the novel. Significantly, Aiden and Cassie’s earlier relationship also began as a sexual one on the platform OnlyFans. Though it began as a sexual relationship, Cici and A’s conversations became more personal and emotional, leading them to fall for one another romantically.
OnlyFans
In part, the adult website OnlyFans is a motif that functions similarly to the motif of sex as it is the platform on which Cassie and Aiden begin their sexual relationship. However, the anonymous nature of the platform also contributes to Cassie’s and Aiden’s characterizations. For Cassie, OnlyFans initially begins as a way to make money but quickly becomes something more. Cassie feels empowered on camera because of her anonymity, which allows her to be someone else without an attachment to her past. With her mask, wig, and fake name, Cassie can hide her identity and all of the insecurities that dominate her real life, allowing her to enjoy herself without the burden of her issues in the real world. Forgetting her feelings of being unlovable, Cassie is able to get her hopes up about her relationship with A and has actual expectations of romance with him.
Just as Cassie’s life on OnlyFans is not tied to her past or feelings of being a burden, Aiden doesn’t have to worry about his own issues while on the platform, especially when he connects with Cici. Aiden originally joins the website because he is lonely and is immediately drawn to Cici, whom he discovers is just as lonely as he is. Online, Aiden can hide from his busy job and his insecurities about being a good father while also feeling like he has a real emotional connection with Cici. Cassie and Aiden’s engagement with OnlyFans not only symbolizes their sexual connection but also their attempts to grow beyond the limitations they place on themselves in the real world.
