Snakes

Snakes enter the story through a list in Gideon’s letter: they are an animal he finds strange because they can swim despite having no arms. The detail becomes a small point of connection with Ava, who tells him that she dislikes snakes too.

Gideon’s List

Gideon introduces snakes in a list of things he considers weird, written as part of his effort to show Ava what he is like. His example comes from the film version of Tomorrow When the War Began: a scene involving Fi and a snake in the water taught him that snakes can swim. He presents the discovery with comic astonishment, focusing on the contrast between the animal’s swimming ability and its lack of arms.

A Shared Dislike

In her reply, Ava confirms that she does not like snakes either. Her response turns Gideon’s odd observation into a modest common ground between them: the letters are a place where they compare preferences as well as disclose more personal things. Their agreement about snakes sits alongside a playful difference about fruit. Gideon dislikes bananas, while Ava loves them; in a later letter, he clarifies that bananas are the exception among fruits he finds gross.

Narrative Role

Snakes are not encountered directly in these passages. Instead, they matter as a subject of ordinary, lightly comic correspondence. Gideon’s list lets him present his eccentricities to Ava, while her reply answers with a preference of her own. The exchange gives their developing written connection a relaxed rhythm: an unexpected fact prompts a confession, and a shared dislike emerges without erasing their differences.