Symbols A Flicker in the Dark Stacy Willingham

The Necklace and Engagement Ring: Symbols of Stolen Lives and Burdened Memory

What the Necklace and Ring Literally Are

In A Flicker in the Dark, two pieces of jewelry carry heavy symbolic weight: a pearl necklace (part of a set with matching earrings, worn by victim Aubrey Gravino) and an engagement ring given to Chloe by Daniel Briggs. The pearl necklace is a trophy taken by the killer—a tangible connection between the murderer and the victims. The engagement ring, originally belonging to Daniel’s family and intended for Sophie Briggs, becomes a link between Chloe and Daniel’s shared, manipulated past. Both objects move from being personal adornments to evidence, and finally to tokens of memory and release.

Where the Necklace Recurs

The pearl necklace first appears indirectly through its matching earring. In Chapter Nine, Chloe picks up a silver earring with three diamonds and a single pearl from the dirt in Cypress Cemetery. A search party volunteer identifies it as belonging to Aubrey by matching it to a MISSING poster that shows the full set—earrings and a necklace. The necklace itself is conspicuously absent from the crime scene, suggesting the killer removed it as a keepsake.

The necklace reappears in Chapter Twenty-Six when Chloe, terrified by a burglar alarm, searches Daniel’s closet for a gun. Instead, she finds a jewelry box containing “a necklace with a long silver chain, a single pearl on the end, and three small diamonds clustered at the top”—the exact description of Aubrey’s missing necklace. This discovery shifts Chloe’s suspicion from Daniel to her brother Cooper, revealing that Cooper planted the necklace to frame Daniel.

Later, in Chapter Forty-Seven, Chloe confronts Cooper with the jewelry box. Cooper admits their father had hidden it after finding Cooper’s trophies under a floorboard. The box contains not only Aubrey’s necklace but also Lena’s belly-button ring and other items taken from earlier victims. Thus the necklace functions as both a piece of evidence and a direct link to Cooper’s identity as the killer.

How the Engagement Ring Appears and Changes

The engagement ring is introduced through Daniel’s proposal to Chloe. In Chapter Forty-Eight, after the truth comes out, Chloe drives to Hattiesburg to return the ring to Sophie Briggs, Daniel’s sister. Sophie reveals that Daniel used Cooper’s copycat crimes as cover to help her escape an abusive home years earlier. The ring, which Daniel said made him feel connected to Chloe, actually originated from Sophie’s desire to feel close to her brother’s new life: “Picturing you wearing it. Like one day, we might know each other.”

For Chloe, wearing the ring once symbolized hope for a future free from her family’s shadow. But after learning Daniel knew her identity from the start and had visited her father in prison, the ring becomes a reminder of the lies that underpinned their relationship. Returning it allows Chloe to disentangle herself from the web of deception—both Daniel’s and her own.

Changing Meaning over the Story

The meaning of the necklace evolves from evidence of a crime (Aubrey’s missing jewelry) to a killer’s trophy (when Chloe finds it in Cooper’s possession) to a tool of manipulation (Cooper plants it to frame Daniel). Throughout, it represents the stolen lives of young women and the killer’s need to exert control beyond death. The engagement ring shifts from a promise of connection (Sophie’s hope, Chloe’s acceptance) to a burden of complicity (Daniel’s hidden agenda) and finally to an object of release when Chloe gives it back.

Character and Theme Connections

  • Chloe Davis: Both pieces of jewelry force Chloe to confront her family’s legacy. The necklace directly implicates her brother; the ring ties her to Daniel’s secrets. Her decision to return the ring mirrors her choice to release the firefly—a gesture of letting go.
  • Cooper Davis: The necklace collection reveals his signature obsession with taking trophies, linking him to the “monsters in plain sight” theme. His need for control manifests in keeping mementos.
  • Daniel Briggs: The engagement ring connects him to his sister Sophie and to Richard Davis. His visits to Richard were an attempt to free him, using the necklace proof from the current murders. The ring represents his complicated motivations—love mixed with manipulation.
  • Sophie Briggs: For her, the ring symbolizes survival and the family Daniel helped her escape. Its return closes a chapter of fear.
  • Themes: The objects tie directly to monsters in plain sight (the killer hides in everyday life), copycat crime and legacy (Cooper mimics his father’s trophy-taking), family secrets and complicity (the jewelry box hidden by Richard, known by the mother), trauma and memory (Chloe’s repressed memories surface through the necklace), and control versus vulnerability (taking trophies extends the killer’s power). See the full analysis of these themes through the internal links provided.

Study Questions and Answers

1. Why does Chloe mistake the jewelry box for a gun in Chapter Twenty-Six? What does this reveal about her state of mind?

Chloe is terrified after a false alarm and expects an intruder (Bert Rhodes) to attack her. Her panic drives her to seek the gun Daniel left for protection. Finding the pearl necklace instead shocks her, as she immediately recognizes it from Aubrey’s poster. The mistake reveals how deeply her fear of the killer—and her unresolved trauma from her father’s crimes—has made her hypervigilant. The necklace forces her to shift suspicion from a stranger to someone close to her, highlighting the novel’s theme that real monsters hide in plain sight.

2. How does the engagement ring function differently for Chloe and Sophie?

For Sophie, the ring represents a connection to her brother and a symbolic hope that Chloe could become part of their family—a normal life after escaping abuse. For Chloe, the ring initially symbolizes Daniel’s love and a fresh start. However, after discovering Daniel’s secret visits to her father and his knowledge of her identity from the start, the ring becomes a token of manipulation. Returning it allows Chloe to reclaim agency and sever the emotional ties built on half-truths.

3. In what way do the trophies (including the pearl necklace) serve as a “signature” for the killer, and how does that signature connect to the novel’s exploration of control?

The text explains that “every serial killer has their signature.” Cooper takes pieces of jewelry as mementos to preserve the memory of his kills. This signature mirrors his father Richard’s behavior, as the same jewelry box once held trophies from the original Breaux Bridge murders. By keeping objects from the victims, the killer asserts ownership over their lives long after death. The act of hiding these trophies—and later using them to manipulate others—demonstrates a deep need to control the narrative of the crimes and the people around him.

4. What is the significance of Chloe returning the engagement ring to Sophie in the final chapter? How does this action relate to her decision to release the firefly?

Returning the ring untangles Chloe from the web of lies surrounding Daniel and her family. It is an act of releasing control: she acknowledges that the relationship was built on deception and chooses not to hold onto it. In the same chapter, Chloe catches a firefly, watches it glow in her hands, and then opens her palms to let it fly free. This firefly recalls Lena’s belly-button ring, one of Cooper’s trophies. Both actions—returning the ring and releasing the firefly—symbolize Chloe’s decision to let go of the past, the guilt, and the need to control outcomes. She frees herself from the weight of inherited secrets.

Internal Links

For a deeper dive into related themes and characters, explore the following pages: