When in Sochi

Author's Note: Subliminal Messages ♡

Subliminal Symbolism in "When in Sochi"

(This isn't a continuation of the story, it's merely a supplement. I didn't know if I wanted to post this chapter because I didn't know if you'd care or not, but I feel like this story isn't just some regular meaningless happily ever after fanfic, there's a deeper meaning, and I hope it helps you when you read the text, and since this story is an exposé for my AP Comp class, here you go...)

~The writing style of this book mirrors that of an angsty 16 year old, so grammar mistakes and weird sentences are perfectly acceptable in this story.

Symbolism:

~Kira represents the innocence and ignorance of youth

~the Northern Lights represent change and brings about her transformation, which symbolizes the delicate stage between adolescence and adulthood.

~the press, the gossip, Gretchen Nena, Nick Boehner, and even Apolo Ohno to some extent (first few chapters) represent the ugliness of the real world that coincidently mirrors with high school reality.

~ Kira's relationship with JR Celski (a guy older than her and younger than her at the same time in the story) represents the paradox and contradiction of Kira living her adult life while clinging onto teenage fantasies, which is the essential fan-girling over JR.

~JR Celski, represents the last hope of the teenage dream (just like he was the last hope of American short track) when one finds their significant other and makes them feel like a kid again.

~Speed-skating short track represents the repetitive circle of life. The actual sport of short track requires the skater to spin around and around in circles at a fast pace, representing the unending cycle of adult life and the fact that they are living on a crash course.

~JR's relationship with his mom and Apolo's relationship with his mom symbolize the stark comparison between their childhood, innocence, and upbringing.

~Kira dying represents the death of childhood and innocence and all things pure.

~God looking like Dumbledore/King Triton illustrate how Kira still visualizes God as a child does.

~Kira chooses to be 16 again instead of going straight to heaven, representing the harmful preference of eternal youth over eternal life.

Conspiracies Concerning the Ending (ONLY what ifs and maybes)

~Kira is pregnant with JR's son, that's why God let her return to earth.

~Kira is bipolar, which explains why she sometimes refers to herself in 3rd person, especially in regards to her different ages.

~Kira is schizophrenic and mentally unstable and dreamt the whole thing up while she was high on dope. The fact that she threw up in the 2nd chapter when she woke up could possibly indicate her being doped up, drunk, and delirious (so she was imagining things)

~Kira was actually kidnapped by two men who drugs her and in desperate compensation she forces to see them as Apolo Ohno and JR Celski.