The author frequently utilizes different forms of creativity in the novel to symbolize life force. Harry Quebert says to his student Marcus Goldman, “To be a writer is to be alive” (95). For Harry, a creator only feels alive when he is able to create, because in this way he is fulfilling his purpose and finds meaning in his existence. He urges Marcus to break through his writer’s block, for only through writing will he find life-saving resolve. By the end of the novel, Marcus has managed to recapture his creativity through solving the mystery of Nola’s death, and his ability to write returns, signaling his return to leading a full life.

Similarly, Luther Caleb expresses himself and his aliveness primarily through painting. As a young man, he is a promising artist, and when a vicious attack shatters his happiness, he abandons hope and barely survives. It is only after Elijah Stern comes back into his life that he finds meaning by returning to painting. Additionally, after falling in love with Nola, Caleb begins to write and creates a masterpiece dedicated to his vicarious experience of love through Harry and Nola.

Nola’s father, David Kerrigan, spends over 30 years repairing an old Harley Davidson.