The Snow Globe Symbol in Imogen, Obviously
What the Snow Globe Literally Is
A snow globe is a small glass sphere filled with water and artificial snow that, when shaken, creates a temporary flurry. In Becky Albertalli’s Imogen, Obviously, the snow globe appears as a metaphor Imogen uses to describe two distinct states: a sealed-off world and a mind in turmoil.
Where the Snow Globe Appears
The metaphor recurs in two key chapters:
- Chapter 25: Imogen returns home after her first visit to Blackwell College. At the family dinner, she reflects on how “college seemed entirely sealed off from real life. A universe inside a universe, like a snow globe.” Here the globe is static, representing the safe, separate bubble of her college experience.
- Chapter 54: Imogen lies awake after kissing Tessa for the first time. She feels like “a stranger to myself, my mind a shaken snow globe of new possibilities.” This time the globe is in motion, symbolizing disorientation and the shattering of old certainties.
How the Meaning Changes
| Occurrence | State | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Chapter 25 | Unshaken | College as a contained, idyllic world, separate from home |
| Chapter 54 | Shaken | Identity in flux; confusion after a queer romantic experience |
The shift from an unshaken to a shaken globe mirrors Imogen’s personal transformation. In the first instance, the snow globe represents the exciting but unthreatening novelty of college—a place she can visit without her home identity being disrupted. By the second instance, the globe has been violently disturbed, reflecting her internal chaos as she questions her long-held belief that she is straight. The snowflakes settling would imply a new clarity, but the novel leaves that resolution to Imogen’s ongoing journey.
Character Connections
- Imogen Scott: The snow globe is her own metaphor. It captures her tendency to compartmentalize—her “straight ally” persona at home versus her growing feelings for Tessa at college. The shaking symbolises the moment these compartments break down.
- Tessa Minsky: Tessa is the catalyst who shakes the globe. Imogen’s first kiss with a girl triggers the disorientation that the shaken snow globe represents. Tessa later helps Imogen recalibrate, offering stability.
- Lili: Lili’s fabricated backstory (pretending Imogen is bisexual) contributes to Imogen’s web of lies. The snow globe’s shatter echoes the collapse of Lili’s narrative control.
- Gretchen: Gretchen’s “pick-me straight girl” comment (Chapter 54) intensifies Imogen’s self-doubt, adding to the mental flurry.
Theme Connections
- Self-Discovery and Queer Identity: The shaken snow globe directly embodies Imogen’s questioning of her sexuality. It marks the moment she stops accepting others’ labels and begins exploring her own truth.
- Compulsory Heterosexuality: Imogen’s default assumption that she is straight is the unshaken globe; the kiss with Tessa “shakes” that assumption, forcing her to reconsider what she previously took for granted.
- Authenticity vs. Performance: The static snow globe in Chapter 25 represents the performance of “straight ally” Imogen. The shaken version reveals the gap between who she pretends to be and who she might actually be.
- Friendship and Belonging: Imogen’s desire to belong in Lili’s queer friend group is part of the bubble she enters. As the bonds with Tessa deepen, the bubble is agitated, but also enriched.
- Queer Community and Allyship: The snow globe’s two states reflect Imogen’s movement from ally to questioning person—a shift that redefines her place in queer spaces.
4 Study Questions with Answers
Q1: In what two contexts does Imogen use the snow globe metaphor, and how does the metaphor’s meaning change between them?
A1: In Chapter 25, Imogen uses an unshaken snow globe to describe college as a separate, sealed-off world from her home life. In Chapter 54, she describes her mind as a shaken snow globe after kissing Tessa. The shift is from a safe, contained space to a state of disoriented flux, reflecting her internal upheaval as she questions her sexuality.
Q2: How does the snow globe metaphor connect to the theme of compulsory heterosexuality?
A2: The unshaken snow globe represents Imogen’s default assumption that she is straight—an assumption she never questioned. The shaking occurs when that assumption is disrupted by her attraction to Tessa. The metaphor visualizes the collapse of a presumed heterosexual identity and the chaotic process of examining it.
Q3: What is the significance of the snow globe appearing specifically after Imogen’s first kiss with a girl?
A3: The kiss is the catalyst that “shakes” Imogen’s worldview. Before the kiss, she could maintain the idea of being a straight ally in a queer space. Afterward, she must confront the possibility that she is not straight, which feels like her mind has been turned upside down. The shaken snow globe captures the loss of certainty and the birth of new questions.
Q4: If the snow globe eventually “settles,” what might that represent in Imogen’s journey?
A4: A settled snow globe would suggest clarity, a new stable identity. By the end of the novel, Imogen begins to accept her feelings for Tessa and openly identifies as queer (though she never uses a specific label). The metaphor thus implies that after the shaking comes a recalibrated self—one that is more authentic and aligned with her true feelings.