The Pregnancy Test Symbol in Freida McFadden’s The Surrogate Mother

What Is the Pregnancy Test in the Novel?

In Freida McFadden’s thriller The Surrogate Mother, the pregnancy test is a literal urine-based home test that Monica Johnson takes after the first insemination. It displays two blue lines, indicating a positive result. The physical object — a white plastic stick Monica seals in a Ziploc bag — becomes a recurring symbol of contested ownership over the unborn child.

Where Does the Pregnancy Test Appear?

The test appears in key moments that mark the story’s emotional turning points:

How the Meaning of the Pregnancy Test Changes

The pregnancy test’s symbolic weight shifts across the narrative:

1. Hope for Abby — When Abby first learns of the positive result, she is overjoyed: “I’m going to be a mother.” The test represents the culmination of years of failed attempts and the promise of a family.
2. Unease and Suspicion — The moment Monica says she wants to “save it” as a keepsake, the test transforms into a red flag. Abby thinks: “If anyone should want to save the pregnancy test, it should be me. And I don’t want it. I mean, it’s got urine on it.” The object becomes evidence of Monica’s inappropriate emotional attachment.
3. Object of Manipulation — As the story progresses, the test foreshadows Monica’s refusal to relinquish control. Her insistence on keeping the physical stick mirrors her later actions (recording the heartbeat, refusing to give up the baby).
4. Legacy of Obsession — By the epilogue, the test’s function is absorbed by Monica’s childhood blanket, which carries her scent. Both objects are physical remnants that Abby cannot destroy without causing harm to the child.

Character Connections to the Pregnancy Test

Abby Adler

Abby’s relationship with pregnancy tests is defined by failure and loss. In the opening chapters, she remembers the ritual of peeing on sticks and seeing a single line: “I cried over every negative pregnancy test.” When Monica’s positive test appears, Abby is both ecstatic and wounded — the test proves that her own body is “inhospitable” while Monica’s is fertile. Abby’s discomfort with Monica keeping the stick stems partly from this painful history: she cannot bear to see the symbol of her own infertility cherished by someone else.

Monica Johnson

Monica treats the pregnancy test as a trophy. She snatches it off Abby’s desk and tucks it into her purse, even though the test has no practical use. This behavior signals that she sees the pregnancy as hers, not a service for Abby. Monica’s obsession with tangible keepsakes (the stick, the heartbeat recording) prefigures her later attempt to steal the child and her husband.

Sam Adler

Sam appears only indirectly through Abby’s text message. His tepid reply “Wonderful” (which Abby embellishes with an exclamation point) shows his reluctance. The pregnancy test, as the first proof of conception, forces Sam to confront a reality he never fully embraced. He never touches or comments on the physical stick, distancing himself from the process.

Theme Connections

Infertility and Motherhood

The test embodies the central irony: Abby has longed for a positive test for years, but when one finally appears, it belongs to another woman. McFadden uses the test to explore the gap between biological and social motherhood. Abby will mother the child, but she cannot claim the physical experience of a positive test.

Betrayal and Deception

Monica’s decision to keep the test is a subtle act of betrayal. She has signed a contract surrendering all rights at conception, yet her hoarding of the test suggests she never intended to honor that agreement. The object becomes a concrete example of the gaslighting that runs throughout the novel: Monica acts generously while undermining Abby’s authority.

Obsession and Manipulation

The test is the first of several objects Monica collects (heartbeat recording, ultrasound images, later the blanket). Each item creates an emotional tether between Monica and the baby. Abby initially dismisses her own unease, but the pattern of hoarding reveals Monica’s obsessive nature.

Study Questions

1. How does Abby’s history with negative pregnancy tests shape her reaction to Monica’s positive test? Answer: Abby has endured years of infertility, crying over every negative test. When Monica shows the positive result, Abby feels both joy and a pang of resentment — the test proves that her own body failed while Monica’s succeeded. This mixed emotion makes her hesitant to confront Monica about keeping the stick, as she does not want to appear ungrateful.

2. Why does Monica want to keep the pregnancy test as a keepsake, and what does this reveal about her character? Answer: Monica claims she wants to remember the pregnancy, but her insistence alarms Abby. The act shows that Monica views the child as emotionally hers, not a product of a transaction. It foreshadows her refusal to give up the baby and her later willingness to manipulate and harm to keep the child.

3. What role does the pregnancy test play in the theme of gaslighting and false accusation? Answer: The test is a tangible piece of evidence that Monica uses to establish her bond with the baby. By keeping it, she subtly undermines Abby’s role as the intended mother. Abby’s growing suspicion — that Monica’s behavior is odd — is dismissed as paranoia, yet the test later proves to be a warning sign of Monica’s true intentions.

4. How does the pregnancy test symbol connect to the epilogue’s blanket scene? Answer: Both the test and the blanket are physical objects that carry Monica’s presence into Abby’s home. The test cannot be discarded because Monica hides it; the blanket cannot be thrown away because baby David becomes inconsolable without it. Both objects symbolize that Monica ’s legacy cannot be erased — she will always be part of the child’s life, even after her attack.