God Help the Child

by

Toni Morrison

Jaguar Symbol Analysis

Jaguar Symbol Icon

Bride’s car, a Jaguar, symbolizes how she uses wealth and material success to shield herself from the pain of past trauma and other difficult emotions. Bride’s Jaguar is an expensive luxury car, which she can afford because of her successful and lucrative career. But the book’s initial mention of the car describes it as “sleek, rat gray with a vanity license,” noting that it “[looks] like a gun.” By comparing the Jaguar to a rat, the novel suggests that there is something unsavory to Bride about the car—and, therefore, about the wealth that allowed Bride to purchase it. Rats for instance, may carry diseases or cause an infestation. The novel thus implies that the Jaguar poses a similar risk for Bride—that the unhealthy coping mechanisms she has developed to avoid her past traumas could completely overtake her, inhibiting her from processing her past productively and living a healthy, well-adjusted life. What’s more, her focus on wealth and status could cause her to lose her capacity for love or authenticity. The book’s comparison of then Jaguar to a gun reinforces the sense of threat that the car poses.

On her way to find Booker, Bride crashes her Jaguar. The crash is a metaphor for how Bride must take apart, or “wreck,” her methods of self-protection to become vulnerable and find love. Notably, the car is put back together—Bride does not remain wrecked—but it is repaired with a door from a different car model entirely. That new door on the Jaguar shows how the Jaguar, just like Bride herself, emerges from a time of intense transformation significantly changed but still intact.

Jaguar Quotes in God Help the Child

The God Help the Child quotes below all refer to the symbol of Jaguar. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Inherited Trauma Theme Icon
).
Part 2, Chapter 1 Quotes

Finally in Mexico they agreed to stop meeting that way […] so they got married and “moved to California to live a real life.”

Bride’s envy watching them was infantile but she couldn’t stop herself. “By ‘real’ you mean poor?” She smiled to hide the sneer.

“What does ‘poor’ mean? No television?” Steve raised his eyebrows.

“It means no money,” said Bride.

“Same thing,” he answered. “No money, no television.”

“Means no washing machine, no fridge, no bathroom, no money!”

“Money get you out of that Jaguar? Money save your ass?”

Related Characters: Lula Ann “Bride” Bridewell (speaker), Steve (speaker)
Related Symbols: Jaguar
Page Number: 91
Explanation and Analysis:
Part 4, Chapter 2 Quotes

A child. New life. Immune to evil or illness, protected from kidnap, beatings, race, racism, insult, hurt, self-loathing, abandonment. Error-free. All goodness. Minus wrath.

So they believe.

Related Characters: Lula Ann “Bride” Bridewell, Booker Starbern
Related Symbols: Jaguar, Trumpet
Page Number: 175
Explanation and Analysis:
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Jaguar Symbol Timeline in God Help the Child

The timeline below shows where the symbol Jaguar appears in God Help the Child. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Part 1, Chapter 2: Bride
Inherited Trauma Theme Icon
Child Abuse and Healing Theme Icon
Arrested Development and Unconditional Love Theme Icon
...Bride thinks she’s responsible for putting her there. In the parking lot, Bride thinks her Jaguar stands out against the old Toyotas and well-worn trucks. Fifteen years ago, nobody doubted that... (full context)
Part 2, Chapter 1
Child Abuse and Healing Theme Icon
Arrested Development and Unconditional Love Theme Icon
Bride takes a taxi to try and find Salvatore Ponti because she thinks her Jaguar would be too conspicuous in the neighborhood she’s visiting. She finds Salvatore Ponti’s Pawn and... (full context)
Part 2, Chapter 3
Inherited Trauma Theme Icon
Racism and Colorism Theme Icon
Child Abuse and Healing Theme Icon
Arrested Development and Unconditional Love Theme Icon
...packs the shaving brush and razor in the trumpet case as she drives in her Jaguar to try and find Booker, the one person she once trusted and who made her... (full context)
Inherited Trauma Theme Icon
Child Abuse and Healing Theme Icon
Arrested Development and Unconditional Love Theme Icon
...Whiskey Road and turns off. She misses a curve in the road and crashes her Jaguar into a large tree. She lies in the driver’s seat, unable to get out of... (full context)
Inherited Trauma Theme Icon
Child Abuse and Healing Theme Icon
...Bride asks, “By ‘real’ you mean poor?” Steve responds, “Money get you out of that Jaguar? Money save your ass?” (full context)
Part 4, Chapter 2
Child Abuse and Healing Theme Icon
Arrested Development and Unconditional Love Theme Icon
...fixed. She says she brought the trumpet too, and it’s in the trunk of her Jaguar. Booker is overjoyed. “I love you! Love you!” he yells and then runs down the... (full context)