The Double Tree Swing in Purple State: Symbol of Legacy, Transition, and Shared Hope

What Is the Double Tree Swing?

In Purple State, the double tree swing is a physical object at the Taylor family farm pond. Jake Taylor describes it as built by his grandfather for his grandmother after their wedding. The swing has a wide wooden seat suspended by two ropes from an old oak, large enough for two people. Mary first encounters it when Jake takes her there for a private sunset picnic in Chapter 43 — a key moment in their relationship.

The swing appears in only one extended scene, but its emotional weight carries through the rest of the novel as a touchstone for Mary. Later, in the epilogue’s lead-up, she recalls “the night on the swing” while discussing her changed plans with Dot and Harper, making the swing a recurring memory that shapes her character arc.

Literal Description and Context

Jake drives Mary to the pond after picking her up at the Milwaukee airport. He carries a picnic basket and blanket. They eat bread, cheese, and prosciutto as the sun sets. Then he leads her to the swing:

He took her hand and walked to a double tree swing. “My grandfather put this up for my grandmother when they got married. They used to bring us out here … They loved to watch the sunset.”

Mary sits on Jake’s lap, and they sway together. The sky shifts through pink, orange, red, and violet. They stop the swing, kiss, and stay until stars appear. Mary texts her friends that she won’t be home, then silences her phone. The scene ends with them staying overnight — a clear turning point in her romantic and emotional commitment.

Symbolic Meanings

The swing operates on three interlocking symbolic levels, each tied to the novel’s major themes.

1. Family Legacy

The swing is explicitly an heirloom. It was hand‑crafted by Jake’s grandfather for his grandmother, and the couple “loved to watch the sunset” from it. By bringing Mary there, Jake invites her into a family tradition — a gesture that implies continuity, belonging, and rootedness. The swing represents the stable, multi‑generational life that Cedar Falls offers, in stark contrast to Mary’s transient New York existence.

2. The Pause Between Two Lives

The swing is a space of suspension. It hangs between the farmhouse and the pond, between land and water, between the activity of the day and the stillness of night. For Mary, who has been torn between her high‑powered Manhattan career and the Wisconsin community she is growing to love, the swing becomes a physical “pause button.” Here she consciously stops checking her phone and lets the moment unfold. The act of sitting in Jake’s lap on the swing echoes her own internal hesitation: she is literally in his arms but not yet fully committed to a future in Cedar Falls. The swing’s gentle rocking motion mirrors her indecision — she is moving, but not yet forward or backward.

3. The Possibility of a Shared Future

Most directly, the swing is a space of romantic possibility. Mary chooses to sit on Jake’s lap (there is room beside him), and they kiss as the stars come out. But the scene also contains her internal resistance: immediately afterward, she “admits she is falling for Jake but insists a relationship is not in her plan.” The swing, therefore, symbolizes the potential for a shared future — one that requires Mary to let go of her old plans and trust something new. This connects to the novel’s broader theme of love across differences: a New York Democrat and a Wisconsin Republican finding common ground on a family heirloom built for a couple from an earlier era.

Character Connections

Mary Russo

For Mary, the swing represents the pull between her two possible selves. She grew up in New York, has a prestigious law firm job, and expected to return there after her year in Wisconsin. At the swing, she briefly chooses romantic connection over career ambition — but she does so with unease. Later, in Chapter 47 or 48, she admits to The Crew that falling for Jake “wasn’t on our bingo card.” The swing becomes the place where her internal conflict first surfaces physically.

Jake Taylor

For Jake, the swing is a natural part of his home. He doesn’t romanticize it; he simply shares what he loves. His ease with the swing contrasts with Mary’s discomfort with the idea of settling down. Jake’s memories of his grandparents using the swing reinforce his identity as someone who values family and tradition. He is offering Mary a vision of life that is stable, rooted, and communal — exactly what she fears and desires.

The Crew (Dot, Harper)

Although Dot and Harper never visit the swing, it becomes part of their shared story. When Mary later tells Dot and Harper about the night on the swing, it triggers conversations about whether love can overcome political differences and whether career goals should take priority. The swing thus indirectly fuels the book’s central dialogues about career vs. personal fulfillment and friendship as support.

Theme Connections

The swing most directly supports the themes of love across differences and finding home and community. Jake and Mary’s differing politics and backgrounds (New York vs. Wisconsin, Democrat vs. Republican) are bridged in this intimate setting. The swing offers a space outside of political debate — pure personal connection. It also reinforces the theme of friendship as support, as Mary’s decision to stay at the swing is made easier by knowing her friends will understand. Finally, the swing touches on career vs. personal fulfillment, since Mary’s night on the swing directly precedes her questioning whether her New York career path is worth leaving Jake behind.

How the Meaning Shifts

On first reading, the swing appears to be a simple romantic setting. After the epilogue, however, it becomes a foreshadowing device — the place where Mary first hesitates to commit, which the rest of the novel works to resolve. By the end, the swing’s meaning shifts from “a beautiful escape” to “the starting point of her real choice.” For the reader, it serves as a litmus test: when Mary later chooses Wisconsin, she is essentially choosing to inhabit the world the swing represents.

Four Study Questions and Answers

1. Why does Mary sit on Jake’s lap on the swing instead of next to him?
Mary’s choice to sit on Jake’s lap rather than on the seat beside him shows her desire for closeness and intimacy, even as she verbally insists that a relationship is not in her plan. The physical contact mirrors her emotional willingness to fall for him, contradicting her stated intentions.

2. What does the swing’s origin story (built by grandfather for grandmother) suggest about Jake’s values?
Jake’s retelling of the swing’s history highlights how highly he values family legacy, tradition, and long‑term commitment. By sharing this story with Mary, he is implicitly offering her a place in that legacy — a value that later influences her decision to stay in Wisconsin rather than return to New York.

3. How does the swing scene connect to the novel’s political theme?
The swing exists at the Taylor farm, which is the site of the family’s fight against a factory development (a conflict involving state and federal politics). Yet the swing itself is a silent, apolitical space. It represents the possibility of connection beyond partisan division — a core message of the “purple state” idea that people with different political views can still share meaningful lives.

4. In what way does Mary silencing her phone on the swing symbolize her character arc?
Mary turns off her phone immediately after texting The Crew that she won’t be home. This deliberate act symbolizes her temporary withdrawal from her New York life and career — the world of constant connectivity. It foreshadows her eventual decision to leave that life behind for a simpler, more rooted existence in Cedar Falls, where presence matters more than productivity.

Conclusion

The double tree swing in Purple State is far more than a prop. It is a carefully crafted symbol that ties together the novel’s central tensions: past and future, city and country, ambition and love, political difference and human connection. By placing Mary and Jake on a swing built by previous generations, Dana Perino roots their modern romance in a tangible inheritance — one that asks whether love can survive not only distance but also divergent worldviews. For readers tracing the novel’s symbols, the swing offers a rich and resonant touchstone for understanding Mary’s transformation and the book’s larger argument for civility and hope.