What are the main motifs in the novel, To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before?

The author uses food as a recurring motif in the novel to chart the progress of the Covey family as they attempt to adjust to Margot no longer living in the family home. Before Margot leaves, it is made clear to the reader that she has been a major organizing influence in the Covey family in terms of food planning and preparation. Before she leaves for Scotland, Lara Jean anxiously asks for instructions about how to use their coffee machine, and Margot replies: “I’ll write it all down for you” (12). When she arrives in Scotland, Margot calls to let everyone know that she made it there safely and enquires about what they have been eating in her absence: “What did you guys have for dinner? Did you cook the chicken I defrosted last night?” (54). Margot’s concerns about food and what everyone has had to eat are used to symbolize Margot’s wider concerns about the wellbeing of her family.

Vehicles are a recurring motif in the novel used to explore Lara Jean’s level of maturity. At the start of the novel, Lara Jean does not like to drive and goes out of her way to avoid doing it: : “I mean, I have my license and everything; I’m just not very confident. My dad has taken me for lessons numerous times, Margot too, and I’m basically fine with them in the car, but I get nervous when I drive alone” (41). This reflects Lara Jean’s need to become more independent as her relationship with the car reflects her relationship to life in general: she is confident enough to do things when she is with her family, but not yet sufficiently confident enough to do things on her own.