A frequent motif throughout Such a Fun Age are hands. These play a special role in Emira’s life; her family all are skilled craftspeople. In contrast to her parents and siblings, Emira needs to “wait for her hands to find themselves” (37). In an interesting early moment of the novel, as soon as Emira gets to the Chamberlain house, “Briar [takes] Emira’s hand” (6). The connection between Briar and Emira’s eventual journey to find what she wants to do finds representation by their connection via their hands. 

On Briar’s birthday, Emira gifts the small child a goldfish. This is the only gift that Briar likes, naming the fish Spoons and watching him swim until Briar falls asleep. When Spoons dies, Alix suggests that Emira just get a replacement fish, though this marks a significant shift in their relationship. Emira has to take “a picture of a dead fish” (134) back to the pet store and try to get a new goldfish who looks similar. This kind of illusory tactic is not how Emira normally treats Briar, whom she considers capable of having real conversations. Spoons the goldfish opens the door to Emira understanding Alix’s motivations and self-absorbed nature, which eventually leads to Emira feeling more confident with taking charge.