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The Symbolism Of Seven In Holly Goldberg Sloan's Counting

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In the novel Counting by 7s by Holly Goldberg Sloan, the author places high importance on the number seven, and uses it as a symbol. The main character, Willow Chance, was obsessed with the number seven in the beginning of the story. She thought of everything in sevens and one of the most comforting things for her to do was count by sevens. This is symbolic because it was as if her life was perfect and complete. Willow had a good life, spending time with her parents, researching medical conditions, planting in her garden… But one day, Willow came home with her counselor, Dell Duke, and her friend Mai Nguyen to find that she had lost both her parents in a terrible car crash. Willow was devastated and completely quit doing everything she used to love, even counting by sevens. Counting by sevens, which used to be her source of comfort, was now just a reminder that her perfect world was ruined (or so she thought). By the end of the novel, Willow realizes that she has all she needs to be happy right in front of her. Instead of counting by sevens, she counts to seven. Symbolizing that her life is once again complete, and she is happy about it. The number 7 is a very important number, and not just for Willow. For Christians, sevens can also symbolize perfection or completion. The …show more content…

In the beginning of the story, she was obsessed with the number, and coincidently she was happy and felt her life with her parents was pretty close to perfect. After she lost her parents, she was devastated, her life was no longer so “perfect”, and she stopped counting by sevens. By the end of the book she regains her love for sevens as she finds her new family and friends; creating a once again complete life. The symbol helps stir empathy because readers can connect with having something they love, characterize Willow, and build a mood with the sad tone that is put towards how she doesn’t count by

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