63 pages • 2 hours read
Christina LaurenThe Paradise Problem
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2024A 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
Art and Beauty
Art and beauty are common motifs in literature; visual imagery often reflects or contrasts with specific emotions, becoming a form of indirect characterization. On Pulau Jingga, for example, the characters are surrounded by the beauty of the natural world, and their responses to this setting immediately reveal their values. For Anna, the island is a parade of colors and textures that she instantly wants to paint, and she imagines the different shades of pigment that she would use. Liam also finds greater beauty in the island than in his family’s extravagant parties, and he reflects that Anna is right when she says that “some beers and beach chairs would be preferable to this [lavish luxury] every time” (200). By contrast, Ray sees the island as a tool for showing off his wealth, if he even notices the setting at all. For the Westons, the island is something that must be augmented, and they cannot fully appreciate it until they add all the trappings of luxury.
Anna’s paintings and sketches develop this motif as well, symbolizing her close attention to things that might otherwise go unnoticed. She painstakingly paints flowers, which she calls “nature’s real masterpiece” (11), and her adoration for the natural world illustrates her humility and her humanity. Anna uses her art to help Reagan when the girl is feeling left out by her friends back home, and she gives Reagan “the pure, undivided attention of an adult” (146): a level of care that Reagan rarely experiences. The fact that Anna helps Reagan to create her drawing with a Chanel lip pencil further emphasizes her values, for she emphasizes emotional validation over the preservation of luxury items.
The paintings that Liam purchases also illustrate his growing care for Anna, making them a significant symbol of the pair’s growing emotional connection. When this purchase leads to conflict between the two, it also develops The Complex Motivations Behind Marriage by forcing them both to confront his reasons and her response. Later, when Liam appreciates the color and vibrancy of the paintings, he is inspired to reject his father’s demands. Thus, the paintings become a surrogate for Anna and her values.
Anna’s Hair
Anna’s “bubblegum pink” hair is a symbol of her artistic nature, vulnerability, and honesty, prompting Liam to call her a “Muppet-human hybrid” (49). This detail marks Anna as visibly different from those around her, despite the designer clothes and her upgraded grooming, and her unique hair therefore emphasizes the importance of Preserving Authenticity Amidst Pretense. Anna’s hair indirectly characterizes Janet, for when the woman insults brightly colored hair in general and frets aloud that the color will bleed onto the resort’s white pillowcases, she demonstrates her tendency to use passive-aggressive behavior to tear people down. Anna knows that the other women dye their hair as well, but because they use natural colors, they maintain the pretense of not dyeing their hair at all; none “would dare go bubblegum pink. Every head looks perfectly coiffed and natural: sun-kissed gold, inky black, warm mahogany” (180). Although Anna’s hair is the visible signature of her internal feeling that she doesn’t belong, she also wears it as a badge of honor, and it represents her courageous and daring approach to life.
Jewels and Designer Clothing
RIMOWA, Tom Ford, Gucci, Givenchy, Chanel, and Tiffany are just a few of the luxury brands that are mentioned throughout the novel. Like the motif of art and beauty, these upscale brands emphasize complex issues of Preserving Authenticity Amidst Pretense; Anna feels like she is wearing her designer clothing as a costume, while Janet casually wears Gucci slides even when she takes the recycling out. Anna’s horror at the prices of such items emphasizes the social and financial gap between herself and the Weston clan, highlighting The Societal Impact of Class Differences. Anna knows that the cost of a single designer garment could help immensely in paying for her father’s medical care, and she therefore plans to sell the clothes when she returns home. From another angle, when Ray gets a server fired for spilling mimosas, Anna and Liam’s horror conveys the understanding that the financial cost to the fired worker is many times greater than the damage to Janet’s Dior loungewear.
Like the luxury clothes, the various jewels and other luxuries develop the deep divide between the privileged and the poverty-stricken, but these items also suggest the old adage that money cannot buy happiness. Although the party tents are wrapped in “yards of gossamer fabric and shimmering beads [...] heavy with pearls and teardrops of sparkling gems” (200), the people inside are miserable because they are likewise wrapped in their own insecurities and personal dramas. Likewise, the jewelry that Liam gives Anna becomes a metaphor for the burden that wealth can place on people. She calls the size of the diamond engagement ring “obscene” and states, “If we crashed into the ocean that thing would drag me straight to the bottom” (58).
The PISA Scandal
The PISA Scandal is a leitmotif that develops tension and mystery throughout the novel, especially given that its full implications remain unexplained until the novel’s climax. Liam’s struggles with the secret, repeated questions from the press combine with Ray’s dismissal of the issue as a “sob story” to convey the understanding that an unknown motive lies behind Liam’s decision to leave the family’s company. As the novel unfolds, the term “PISA” becomes a trigger point that indicates the deeper rift between Liam and his father. When the full extent of the scandal is revealed, it transforms into a complex symbol of corporate corruption, of Ray’s power and selfishness, and of his willingness to destroy anyone who opposes him. The fact that Anna cannot find information about PISA online foreshadows the revelation that Ray paid a “ton of money to have it scrubbed from Google searches” (305). This act demonstrates the widespread social power that comes with excessive wealth.
PISA creates a distinct contrast between Liam and Ray by revealing their motivations. Liam created the software with positive intentions—to reduce food waste and increase efficiency—while Ray manipulated it for negative purposes. Ray’s willingness to pin the blame on his teenage son and to use the scandal as leverage to force Liam into the role of CEO develops The Tension Between Romantic and Familial Loyalty. Ray has no loyalty except to himself, but all the Weston siblings have been raised to put family loyalty above their own personal happiness. As a contrasting force, Anna’s influence reminds Liam that even if the scandal destroys his reputation, he will still have her love and support. The resolution of the scandal therefore becomes a form of catharsis for the family, leading Ray, Liam, and Alex to embrace new paths that they had previously thought to be impossible.
Related Titles
By Christina Lauren
