Fallen

Fiction | Novel | YA | Published in 2009

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.

Download PDF

Summary

Background

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Prologue-Chapter 4

Chapters 5-8

Chapters 9-12

Chapters 13-16

Chapter 17-Epilogue

Character Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Tools

Beta

Discussion Questions

Themes

The Past’s Influence on the Present

The events of Fallen take place in the context of a battle between good and evil that has been raging for thousands of years. This ancient context influences everything that happens, even though protagonist Luce has no awareness of it until the final chapters. As she proceeds on a journey to self-discovery, she also discovers the past’s influence on the present. The novel’s Prologue establishes an image of what it looks like when Luce and Daniel reunite in each lifetime: a passionate kiss before shadows take Luce away. This moment in time helps establish the dangers that come with Luce and Daniel’s love story, informing Daniel’s decisions in the present.

When Luce first encounters Daniel, she begins to have impulses and visions that seemingly come out of nowhere for her. However, these feelings are directly tied to her past lives and past encounters with Daniel. In Chapter 1, when Luce first sees Daniel, “for a split second, [she sees] a flashing image of herself folded into those arms,” and “the vision stay[s] so clear that she almost t[akes] off toward him” (38). Luce acknowledges that these feelings are “crazy,” but she cannot help but feel like “[s]he recognize[s] him from somewhere” (40). Luce’s visions continue in Chapter 3 when she finds Daniel sketching in the library. She “ha[s] this wild premonition that Daniel was drawing her” (77). This moment is a reference to the events in the Prologue, when Luce’s predecessor catches Daniel sketching her likeness. Luce also recalls a dream that brings her back to this moment, though she is unaware that she is seeing one of her past lives. The impulses, visions, and dreams that Luce gets in relation to Daniel are evidence that she is still impacted by the past, and the experiences of her past lives, even if she cannot remember them.

Get access to this full Study Guide and much more!

9,150+ In-Depth Study Guides
4,650+ Quick-Read Plot Summaries
Downloadable PDFs

The more recent past also has a strong impact on the present. When evidence begins emerging that something about Luce in this life is different from before, the fallen angels initially do not have an explanation. Unlike previous lives, Luce can see the shadows that follow her, and she can interact with Daniel in romantic ways without dying. In Chapter 17, Luce reveals to Miss Sophia that her parents are agnostic, so she was never baptized in the Christian faith. In Chapter 19, Miss Sophia explains to Luce how this small decision in the past has changed things dramatically for Luce’s present. Miss Sophia explains, “[T]he reason you come back again and again is because all the other times you’ve been born, you were ushered into religious belief. This time, when your parents opted out of baptizing you, they effectively left your little soul up for grabs” (416). Luce’s lack of baptism means that she will not be reincarnated when she dies this time, and thus she is in more danger than ever before. Through Luce’s lack of baptism, the novel establishes that decisions made in the past, despite seeming harmless, can have a drastic impact on the way things unfold in the present.

The Timeless Struggle Between Good and Evil

Though Fallen—like many works of contemporary romance—centers a love triangle, this particular love triangle has significance far beyond the personal lives of its key players. The romantic rivalry between Daniel and Cam serves as a microcosm of the timeless struggle between good and evil, as each potential lover represents one of the two opposing sides in this eternal, spiritual war. Throughout the novel, Luce bounces between pleasant interactions with Cam and mystifying interactions with Daniel. The two suitors vying for Luce’s affection represent the two sides of good and evil. The novel makes several references to this idea before the final revelation that Daniel and Cam are fighting on opposite sides. In Chapter 5, the narration when Cam arrives versus when Daniel arrives hints at their opposing nature. When Cam passes through the front office, the narration reflecting Luce’s thoughts reads, “Speak of the devil” (103). Moments later, when Daniel enters, Luce feels “[s]aved by the gorgeous boy wearing holey jeans and a holier white T-shirt” and refers to him again as “salvation” (107). The narrator uses the common expression “speak of the devil” to hint that Cam is devilish in nature. The narration also uses words like “holier” and “salvation” to paint Daniel with a more divine brush, using the multiple meanings of “holier” to drop a hint at Daniel’s angelic nature. This narration sets up the dichotomy between Cam and Daniel as a representation of the struggle between good and evil.

As the novel progresses, the emphasis on Cam’s devilish nature and Daniel’s heavenly nature becomes clearer as both remain on Luce’s romantic radar. During her cemetery date with Cam, the novel evokes imagery of the snake and apple in the Garden of Eden, hinting that Cam is a source of evil temptation for Luce. Meanwhile, Luce has frequent, repeated dreams of Daniel, in which he has large, heavenly wings. This imagery develops the idea that Luce is part of more than just a love triangle; she’s wrapped up in a battle of good versus evil.

Get access to this full Study Guide and much more!

9,150+ In-Depth Study Guides
4,650+ Quick-Read Plot Summaries
Downloadable PDFs

This becomes clear in the final quarter of the book as tensions between Cam, Daniel, and the rest of the fallen angels escalate to a battle at the Sword & Cross cemetery. Arriane informs Luce, “If they win—it’s Hell on earth. The end of the world as anyone knows it” (401). Arriane also adds that “[they]’re kind of professionals” at fighting this battle (403). These lines of dialogue suggest that Arriane, Daniel, and the other angels have been fighting battles of good and evil for eons. Through Luce’s love triangle and the battle that eventually unfolds between the fallen angels, the novel establishes the idea that good and evil will forever remain locked in a power struggle.

The Importance of Trusting One’s Instincts

As the novel begins, Luce knows far less about her own existence than most of the people around her do. Her name—meaning “light”—symbolizes her trajectory, as she slowly gains knowledge that sheds light on the mysteries of her life at the Sword & Cross. To navigate this mysterious world, she must learn to trust her instincts, and at the end of the book, Daniel confirms for her that she was right to do so. Luce’s gut feelings help steer her through the mysteries that arise at Sword & Cross and help her deal with the shadows that have recently become more aggressive with Luce.

Whenever Luce encounters Daniel, her body physically reacts to his presence. When she first sees him in Chapter 1, Luce feels “absolutely shaken up,” and “[a] jet of warmth sho[ots] through her” when he meets her gaze (40). These feelings persist the more Luce spends time with Daniel. In Chapter 3, before she notices that Daniel is near, she “fe[els] a little bit flushed” (76), and when she spots him, “[her] insides fe[el] like they [a]re burning, like she’s swallowed something hot” (77). The heat that Luce feels when near Daniel is her gut instinct reacting to the eternal bond between them.

Get access to this full Study Guide and much more!

9,150+ In-Depth Study Guides
4,650+ Quick-Read Plot Summaries
Downloadable PDFs

Luce’s gut feelings and impulses also help her handle the shadows that haunt her daily life. As the shadows become more frequent for her after she arrives at Sword & Cross, she begins following her instincts to spot and react to them. This first occurs in Chapter 5 when Luce attends the movie night. She tries “to stay focused on the plot” but “she [] get[s] that uncomfortable icy feeling at the back of her neck. Something [i]s about to happen” (112). Before Luce knows that the shadows are present, she senses their approach, and “[w]hen the shadows c[o]me this time, [she] [i]s expecting them” (112). This moment shows how Luce’s gut instincts inform her of the shadows before they arrive. Her instincts also steer her to begin interacting with the shadows, which is first seen in Chapter 9. Acting quickly to protect the note in her pocket, Luce “use[s] two fingers and all her willpower to pinch the shadow out as hard as she c[an]” (192). She later considers how “[s]he’d done it without thinking, and had had no reason to believe that her two fingers would be any match for a shadow” (209). Luce’s reaction to the shadow in her pocket is evidence that her instincts are helping her handle the shadows. She also feels “a strong, uneasy feeling about this light gray shadow” shortly before the library fire starts and the shadows attack her and Todd (209). Luce’s instinctive responses to the shadows and her ability to detect them illustrate the value in following one’s instincts.

This theme is driven home in the final chapter when Daniel sees Luce off after the cemetery battle. Daniel wants to ensure that she stays as safe as possible, so he instructs her, “[T]rust your gut […] if you feel an instinct, even about something you think you don’t know, you should trust it. You’ll probably be right” (441). Daniel’s advice drives home the idea that Luce’s instincts have protected her thus far, and his advice to continue trusting them develops the theme of trusting one’s instincts for truth and safety.