A Pair of Scissors Represent Relationship Scissors represent the relationship between Nick and Amy. Scissors are a relevant symbol in Amy and Nick’s relationship. Their relationship is full of love and hate. Amy is very meticulous and precise, while Nick is lazy and unmotivated. As Amy conducts her evil plan, she comes across the thought that ”Nick didn’t own a pair of scissors when we moved in together. No scissors, no iron, no stapler, and I remember asking him how he thought he was possibly civilized without a pair of scissors, and he said of course he wasn’t and swooped me up in his arms and threw me on the bed and pounced on top of me, and laughed because I was still the cool girl.” Amy follows this thought with the idea of “One should never marry a man who doesn’t own a decent set of scissors. That would be my advice. It leads to bad things.” (Flynn 305) Amy’s thoughts prove the constant battle of loving- and hating Nick. They began as a cute couple who matched each other perfect, being their fake selves. As soon as they got a taste of their genuine spouse, their love turned to hate. The scissors perfectly prove this because it was one of the first elements in their relationship that there was an unconscious dispute over. They should have realise that their beliefs countered, and would destroy their marriage.
Ketchup Represents That Mistakes Can't Be Made Ketchup represents the idea that nothing can be left behind, metaphorically and physically. The ketchup is an item of food that was left in the refrigerator of Amy’s cabin. Jeff scavenges through Amy’s entire cabin searching for her money and valuables. He states that “Not even a jar of ketchup you can leave.” (Flynn 306). The jar of ketchup represents that throughout the book, Amy couldn’t leave anything behind, or make any mistakes. If she made one mistake in framing Nick, the police could have caught her. For example, if she had originally sent Nick to town where he would have alibis the day Amy went missing, her entire plan would have been ruined. If she had left any trace of being alive, the police could have tracked her and ultimately, send her to jail. The ketchup was a physical representation to show that the cabins preferred to have nothing left behind, and a metaphoric representation proving Amy wasn’t allowed to slip up in her dubious plan.
A Cuckoo Clock Represents Adaptation And Family The cuckoo clock represents two elements in this book, including: Amy's relationship with her parents, and how Amy adapts to Missouri . The cuckoo clock was given to Amy as a housewarming gift, from her parents. She was moving to a new state where Nick, her husband, fits in perfectly, but it was a different story for her. Amy’s believes that that Nick brought her into Missouri, just like property. She doesn’t feel worth anything, and fits much better into her Manhattan culture. Amy states that “They gave me a f*cking cuckoo clock to remember them by. Thanks for thirty-six years of service!” (Flynn 32). She believes this clock represents how her parents don’t care about her, and only have used her entire life as profit. The cuckoo clock wasn’t a happy representation of our parents. The cuckoo clock also acts much like Amy. Amy says that the “cuckoo is having a tough time adjusting to its new space: the little bird lurches out drunkenly at ten minutes after the hour; seventeen minutes before; forty-one past. It emits a dying wail-- coo-crrrrww…” (Flynn 16). This is similar to Amy’s life in Missouri. She is miserable and feels like she can be “loaded and unloaded.” (Flynn 139). Moving to Missouri was also the trigger point, where Nick and Amy drifted apart.