69 pages • 2 hours read

Serpent & Dove

Fiction | Novel | YA | Published in 2019

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Symbols & Motifs

Serpent and Dove

The title of the book is metaphorical, using two traditional Christian symbols to illuminate Reid’s belief that the world is divided between serpents and doves—a conviction that shifts as the book progresses. According to traditional Christian iconography, the serpent represents poison, deceit, temptation, and death, all of which stem from the story of Satan, disguised as a snake, encouraging Eve to tempt Adam in the Garden of Eden. As the Archbishop quotes, “And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world” (359). Deeply affected by his strict religious upbringing, Reid initially views witches as “vipers” (36). According to the Archbishop, Lou is a snake tempting Reid.

In contrast, the dove is a Christian symbol for love, freedom, peace, and new beginnings. The dove brings back an olive branch to Noah to allow him to see there is fertile land after the flood. In Mahurin’s novel, the appearance of doves foreshadows Reid’s love for Lou. Reid first sees a dove during his wedding ceremony, though it takes flight as the vows are said. As Reid and Lou grow closer during Lou’s dance in the snow, a “dove coo[s] above [them]” (268), suggesting true love is possible. However, when Reid condemns Lou after she reveals he’s a witch, he sees that the “light in [her eyes] had gone out” (390), a description later echoed by “a dove [that] lay amongst the dead on the cathedral steps. Feather bloodstained and rumpled. Eyes empty. Unseeing” (391). He realizes he has symbolically killed his dove and seeks to make amends. While it will take him most of the book, Reid eventually realizes that people aren’t just serpent or dove but serpent and dove: He must accept that both qualities exist in both Lou and himself. The transformation of the serpent and dove symbolism thus echoes Mahurin’s message about Resisting Dogma.

Brindelle Park

Brindelle Park lies opposite the neighborhood where the Tremblay’s townhouse is located. The park is filled with trees that exude the same scent of magic that witches do. The pervasive scent disturbs Mrs. Tremblay, who remarks that “it poisons the entire street” (58). The park symbolizes the relationship between the witches who originally used the park as a “sacred grove” and their conquerors, who see the witches themselves as “poison.” After the Dames Blanches were driven from Belterra, the Church “attempted to burn [the trees] to the ground” (46)—much as they would later burn the witches themselves. However, like the witches, the trees did not disappear but grew again “with a vengeance. Within days, they’d towered above the land” (46). This symbolically shows the witches’ power, which spontaneously regenerates. Like Morgane, this power is vengeful and seeks to reassert its dominance.

Clothing

Clothes in Serpent & Dove often offer a shorthand for characters’ emotional state. This is most obvious in the use of costumes from Soleil et Lune. While the costumes serve as literal disguises, they figuratively represent Lou’s need to hide her true identity and remain invulnerable. In a training exercise, Reid’s chasseur shirt “chaf[es] […] punishing [him]” (75). This symbolizes the fact that the restrictions of his vow to the Chasseurs grate upon Reid, giving the reader an inkling that he dislikes his role as captain long before he admits this. Another example of symbolic dress is Lou’s decision to purchase pants after being offered the maid’s modest, high-collared dress. As only men wear pants in the patriarchal society of Belterra, the act shows Lou’s assertiveness. She is clearly implying her authority equals her husband’s.

Later, the fine gold clothes Reid picks out for attending the performance of La Vie Éphémère show the unity he hopes to achieve with Lou. At this point, a mutual attraction is growing between them, which is symbolized by the correspondence of their clothing: Her evening dress is “burnished gold” and his coat is trimmed in “gold filigree.” Reid also buys Lou a new cloak to replace the one given to her by her former lover, Bas. He purchases a white cloak, which symbolizes his need to think of Lou in a romantic way. When the deaths of Andre and Grue stain it with blood, he purchases another—“red this time instead of white. Appropriate” (346). Reid makes the purchase after he and Lou have sex for the first time, suggesting that he knows that their relationship is passionate if not ideal.